The line between love and hate
by The Poisoned Quill
Summary: Hermione's life seemed frozen, so was it possible that a new job at Hogwarts, strange feelings for Draco Malfoy, a young girl with problems, and an attack from an old enemy could be just what she needed to find herself again?
1. Professor Granger

She turned to the blackboard, wrote her name so that everyone could see it. _Professor Granger_. It still gave her chills to think about it. Her, a professor at Hogwarts.

Her hair was a tamed wave now, the front was pulled back and braided, color of rich milk chocolate. It framed her face and made her appear softer than she usually looked. Brown eyes smiled warmly over her reading glasses, she was someone the school evidentally thought the students would adjust to easily. And that was alright because teaching was something she'd wanted to do since before she knew she was a witch. And now she finally could.

She looked at the class, her third year class. Oh, what an adventure her own third year had been, being hunted by a convict, helping that same convict escape from prison, going back in time. It'd certainly been a lot for three young kids to handle. She just hoped theirs would be a little less interesting. That would be too much for most children and it suprised her still that thier adventures didn't kill them.

"Welcome to third year defense against the dark arts. I know most, if not all of you, are accustomed to Professor Potter, but she's taking some time off for personal reasons. So until you have a permanent instructor, I will be your teacher." The class was a mixture of groans and curious murmers, no one liked adjusting to new teachers. And defense against the dark arts was worse. Even these kids had heard the rumors of the curse on the position.

Personal reasons, a cold professional way of saying she'd quit to take care of the baby her and Harry were expecting. Ginny was so happy, and she'd worked so hard the last couple of years. And it'd be good for them, this well deserved break. And Hermione was more than willing to take over her position until they could find someone more suitable.

She sighed as she began to call off names and begin memorizing faces. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she wondered what Ron was doing. Probably something exciting, like chasing down the last of the death eaters. Was he lonely? Was he thinking of her as she thought of him?

He'd certainly been anxious for her to leave. "Go," He'd told her the first moment they were alone. He hadn't even taken the time to kiss her hello, he never did anymore. "If someone doesn't teach the future Aurors, we'll be stuck doing this for the rest of eternity." He sounded so sincere, she'd believed him in a heartbeat and had agreed. But she had her doubts now, she wasn't stupid and could see him growing more distant with each passing day. It hurt her to know she may not have what it took to keep him as her own. She didn't blame him though, three years for a long time to be with one person. And in the end, she just hoped her love would be enough for him.

But for now, she had a class to teach and she couldn't think of such things. "Pair up." She ordered and with a wave of her wand she had all the desks against the wall, the children stared in amazement. They never could have done something quite that easily, not yet anyway. "Today will just be review. Try to disarm your opponent. Do not harm eachother too seriously, please, I don't need an injured student on my first day." That brought on a round of snickers from the Slytherin section of the class. She ignored it, knowing they'd snap out of it quick, Slytherins were something she knew how to handle.

There was a single girl who stood in the corner of the room. She didn't seem to mind the solitary, but it struck her heart. She wore Slytherin robes and she had almost bleach blonde hair. Round glasses sat on the edge of her nose, she watched the class with speculative eyes. And there was something familiar about her, she just couldn't place it. "Don't you have a partner?"

"My friends paired up with eachother." She explained with a sigh, pointing to the two boys across the room. They were both thin, each with a different shade of brown hair. They were close, that was obvious enough. They seemed confused, just a little lost without her. And she knew that feeling, to have your friends depend on you for the answers. But if the girl needed them, Hermione was sure they'd be there.

One of the boys finally gave up and called to her from across the room. "Hey, Mel, come be my partner? Dungbrain here doesn't know his left from his right. Please."

Hermione laughed before sending the boy a reproachful look. He shrunk back, muttered an apology. " Go on. "She told the young girl called Mel. "We seem to have an odd number today." She ran off and Hermione started circling the class, correcting students when necessary. There was a knock on the door, she turned. A familiar face was waiting for her, and she smiled. "Good afternoon, Professor McGonagall."

"Good afternoon." McGonagall nodded properly. "Can I see you for a second?"

"Just a second." She turned back to the class. "I hear one inappropriate spell and the one who cast it will find them in detention during the first quiditch match. Another round of groans.

Hermione stepped out of the classroom to find that McGonagall was not alone. It took her a minute to recognize, three years had changed him. His silver blonde hair was loose, long enough to cover his ears, steel grey eyes seemed inviting and friendly instead of cold and full of hate. She'd never really noticed before, but he looked like something the angels may had carved thousands of years ago. His face was just that rough, that rugged, that gorgeous. Before she could give away her thoughts, she looked away.

"Hello, Hermione." He smiled at her, she ignored the thumping in her chest. She couldn't, wouldn't let herself become attractive to someone like him. Appearances could be deceiving. Besides, there was too much that would never be forgiven between the two of them. She was being foolish, that was all. And that was her own problem.

"Malfoy." She nodded at the potion's master, then turned to McGonagall expectantly. The contempt she held for him was obvious, but then again, so was thier history. McGonagall knew this had been a good idea, and she was glad the portrait had thought of it. These two needed work.

"Well." McGonagall cleared her throat. " The students have requested that we have a dance, and they've earned it. However, I need you two to arrange it. Please." She added as an afterthought, still adjusting to seeing these two as teachers and not students. Could it really have been three years ago that she'd done her best to teach Malfoy and four since she'd had Hermione in her classes?

"Oh no, Professor McGonagall," Hermione glanced at Malfoy, she'd have to plan it with _him_? What could McGonagall be thinking? The same man who'd called her mudblood on several occasions and had given her humongous buck teeth and helped Voldemort take over the castle. How was she supposed to cope? "You can't be serious! I mean, you did great with the yule ball and everything. You really don't need my help."

McGonagall laughed, it was easy to imagine why Hermione had burst out. And who could blame her, Malfoy'd been perfectly wretched to her through out thier years at school. Now she could see the changes in him, if given a big enough push. And McGonagall was going to make sure she pushed hard. "I very much am, dear. I'm afraid it wasn't me that set that up either. I'm no good at parties, take my word."

Malfoy snickered, earning a sharp look from McGonagall. Hermione shook her head. Some men just didn't know when to keep quiet. Laughter had been totally inappropriate. Hermione'd caught on, almost automaticly, and couldn't believe he didn't figure it out. Dumbledore had planned the Yule Ball, it'd been his project from the start and this all brought up unpleasant and painful memories. The least Hermione could do was put up with a snake like him. "Fine, I'll do it."

"Yeah, sounds like fun." He smiled at her, her gut tightened. Did he have to look so damn perfect? It was nearly impossible to remember why she hated him as her heart skipped a couple of beats. McGonagall looked at him, then at her and nodded.

"Good then, I'll just leave you to get back to your class." McGonagall left before Hermione could say anything.

Malfoy cleared his throat, she glanced up at him. Until he'd stood beside her she never realized that he was taller than her, just by a couple of inches. It was a slightly overwhelming and intimidating. But she was sincere in her anger, she couldn't let him effect her at all. "So, Hermione..." He started but she interrupted him.

"Like she said, I have a class." She turned and walked back into the classroom, she could feel his eyes on her back as the door shut. This was going to a long school year.


	2. Tea with Hagrid

A moment of peace at last, she'd never imagined how much work the professors went through. There are so many problems that go along with something like a simple meal. As she looked at the crackling fireplace, she thanked God that she had this small piece of comfort.

Her fire was crackling, she was curled up on her couch with a muggle classic, _Great Expectations_ by Charles Dickens. It'd been one of her favorites since she was old enough to read. Real homework wouldn't start for her students until they were done with review. She knew as much as anyone how much was forgotten over summer vacation. However she wished she had something important to do, she couldn't concentrate and she couldn't sit still.

With an unsatisfied sigh, she slammed her book shut and escaped through the portait. Almost as an afterthought, she grabbed her cloak on the way out.

Careful not to make too much noise, she made her way to the ground floor and escaped into the cool night air. The moon shined bright in the sky, stars sparkling like diamonds. The breeze hit her face as she turned toward the familiar path to the familiar hut. Her heart warmed as she saw the glowing lights, heard the barking of a soft mannered dog. She knocked, lowered the hood on her cloak. The door opened to reveil the friendly half giant. "Hermione!" He hugged her for a brief moment, remembering the small girl she'd been not even ten years ago. "I was hopin' you'd stop by an' see me."

She laughed, "I couldn't disappoint. Can I come in?"

"Well..." Hagrid glanced over his shoulder. "You could, but I'm not sure you'd want to."

"Oh, who else is here?" She peeked around him, caught a glimpse of the man sitting at the table.

"Hey, Hermione." He waved at her, she ignored him.

"Um, I think this was a bad idea." She looked at Hagrid apologetically. He seemed slightly disappointed and she frown. He was her only real friend here and she'd really looked foreward to seeing him again. Was she really weak enough that a man like Draco Malfoy could chase her off so easily? She didn't believe that she was and she wasn't about to prove herself wrong now. If she could stand Bellatrix Lestrange and her torture, she could withstand Malfoy. "On second thought, " She smiled brightly at Hagrid, "I think I will come in."

"Righ' then." He went to hunt down another mug, she sat on one of the large chairs. When he came back with her tea, he brought along company. "He jus' 'ad to say 'ello."

"Hey, Fang." She clapped her hands together and the dog bounded over to her. He licked her face as she laughed and scratched him, unaware that she was being watched with curious eyes. "Who's a good boy."

"Not 'im." Hagrid chuckled, "How're the boys?"

"Decent enough." She shrugged. "Ron's acting a little funny, but Harry's happy as a clam. You knew Ginny's expecting, right."

"Of course." He nodded. "Bless 'er 'eart. And Ron's always been a little funny in the 'ead." He stopped for a second, recalling something. "I remember this one time, your second year, you all came 'round 'ere expectin' me to 'ave a solution for coughin' up slugs. Why was that, by the way?"

"He didn't like a nickname someone used." She lowered her eyes, grimaced. "I had to explain to Harry what it meant." Her eyes were filled with fire when she looked back up. " I didn't understand back then, how cruel people could be."

"What'd they call you?" Malfoy rose and sat in the chair next to her.

"It doesn't matter." She kept eye contact with Hagrid, afraid that if she looked at him she might remember all too well.

"It does if it hurt you." He pushed. She didn't answer, closed her eyes. Hagrid cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"I have to go." She rose, grimaced at the door. "Thank you, Hagrid, for the tea."

"Sleep well, 'mione." He waited until she was out of the hut to look at Malfoy. "You know very well what was said."

"Truth of it is," Malfoy rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't remember much of our second year." Then it struck him, slugs. "Oh God, I just made a complete idiot of myself."

"Yep." Hagrid nodded solemnly, took another deep sip of his tea. "When do you intend to tell 'er?"

"Tell her what?" Malfoy shrugged, looked at his half filled mug. "She hardly even speaks to me."

"So start with 'I'm sorry' and then tell 'er what she needs to know." Hagrid rolled his eyes, young people made everything more complicated. "Now go on, you have classes to teach in the mornin'"

"Night, Hagrid." Malfoy set down his mug and walked out. He couldn't quite explain it, but he felt the urge to hunt down Miss Granger tonight. Ah, well, he'd done enough for tonight. He'd find her tomorrow.

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There was a small pause after she spoke, nobody knew the answer. "You have two already, there is only one more unforgivable curse. The Avada Kedavra curse, the Cruciatus curse, and what else?" Nobody, not even Mel rose her hand. "Mel, do you know the answer?"

"I don't want to get in trouble." She shook her head, " Please don't ask me."

"Alright." Hermione nodded, looked at the rest of the class. "Anybody?"

"The Imperius curse." Malfoy smiled from behind her, she jumped. She slanted him a look, one he was sure would make her students fall into line.

"And what experience do you have with the unforgivable curses, Professor Malfoy?" She heard the snicker of students behind her, kids thought everything was funny.

"That's hardly relevant." He looked at her blandly, "And one could ask about your own experience."

She looked at the clock, turned to the students. "Alright, class dismiss. Exept you, Mel, wait for me in my office."

"Yes, ma'am." She blushed furiously. As the class emptied, Hermione was super aware of his presence.

"That was low," Hermione bit, straightening papers on her desk. "We're both well aware of the circumstances." He supressed a wince as the memory of her bloodcurtling screams filled his own ears. Yes, her experience was quite different. Torture.

"I'm sorry." His voice was quiet as he tried to step toward her. She stepped back automatically. He sighed. "I'm screwing this all up, from the beginning. I came to be apologize, for everything I've done and said to you over the years."

Her eyebrows raised, "And what makes you think I'd have believed you meant it."

"Because I mean it, please, give me a chance before you judge." He stepped toward her again, relieved that she didn't back away again.

She shook her head, "People don't just change over night Malfoy, they don't."

"It hasn't been a night, Hermione," He pointed out with a small smile, "It's been three years. Since the battle. Just let me prove it to you, that's all I ask."

Her voice shook, her eyes helpless as he'd broken through her only real defense. "I don't understand what you want from me."

"For now," He reached out to touch her cheek, the beautifully pale and soft skin. "Your trust is enough."

She nodded and he saw her build herself back up in the blink of an eye. "Trust is earned, Malfoy, not something to give lightly."

"I'll earn it." He promised, then gestured to her office door. "I guess you can't keep her waiting much longer."

"No." She stared at the door, trying to remember who was behind it. Oh yes, Mel. "I can't. Goodbye, Malfoy."

"I'll come by your room later," He smiled. " so we can begin planning the ball."

"Oh, joy." She rolled her eyes and he laughed.

"Later, Hermione." He continued laughing until he was gone and she turned to enter her office. Her head was spinning and she couldn't quite understand what exactly had happened. But she knew she'd be seeing a whole lot more of Draco Malfoy.


	3. The Hog's Head

Friday nights were always busy in Hogsmeade, she knew that. But still she sighed as she looked at it's bustling streets. Everyone looked so happy, oblivious to the depressing world around them. On that note, she stepped into the Hog's Head.

It was as dark and seedy as it had always been. The bar tender nodded to her in recognition. She smiled a little as she slid onto a stool. "Fire whiskey, please, Aberforth."

"You aren't going to cause trouble now, are you?" She knew he was joking, but there'd always be that undertone in his voice that made it almost serious. She knew he grieved, and he'd always grieve. But now, at least, someone could grieve with him, talk with him and be his friend.

"Not if I can help it." She took the drink he set in front of her, winced at the strong smell.

"You sure about that, we both know you don't take alchohol well." He tried to take the mug from her, she just shook her head.

"No." She sighed, "The stronger the better." She took a drink, sputtered for a moment. "This is more potent than I thought." She sipped again, satisfied when she didn't cough.

"Bad week?" Aberforth guessed as he served another person a couple of seats down.

"If you could call it that," She shrugged as serious as possible, though it started to go to her head. "People really confuse me. I mean, it used to be so simple, people were either good or bot. There was no in between, no grey area, just one straight line."

"And what of my brother?" He leaned against the counter, knowing exactly what she meant. Not many bothered to talk to him, and this little bit of company was strangely comforting. "Is he good or bad?"

"Ah." She took another gulp."That's what I mean. Do we condemn a man for all the evil of his youth, or do we celebrate him for everything he's done and been since then. This is where all my nice straight lines are ready to crumble."

"Why not do both?" Malfoy sat on the stool beside her. " Why not see someone as who they really are, completely."

She smiled at Aberforth, leaned in to whisper. " I think he's following me."

"Actually," Aberforth laughed, "He's been in here a while."

"I knew that." She rolled her eyes then stopped. After a moment she just shook her head. " I am a horrific liar, completely and utterly aweful."

Malfoy chuckled, looked at her mug and began to laugh louder. Her eyebrow raised. "I'm glad I amuse you."

"That's what I like about you, Hermione. You can get smashed on half a pint, still use big words that make sense and are in the correct order, and still maintain your bite."

"It's not that funny." She looked down at her cup, slightly embarrassed that she could get drunk so easily. She'd known it, but she thought she'd be drinking alone, and it wouldn't have mattered. Now she just sounded weak and stupid. "It's really not."

"You alright there, Hermione?" Aberforth took her mug, "You need to go home now, before you do something you'll regret."

"Right then," Hermione rose, ignored her very light head. "I think I need to go lie down anyway."

"Can you make it?" Malfoy watched her with wary eyes. He'd seen so many people drink, he knew when someone was about ready to topple over.

"I'm fine." She shook her head when he reached over to help her. "Really, I'm better than fine. I'm peachy, dandy, delightful." She stopped in her tracks, looked at her trembling hands and couldn't focus on them. "I'm dizzy."

And both men lunged for her as she fell. Malfoy caught her by the waist, but not before she smacked her head on a stool. He moved her hair out of her eyes, he checked her pupils, they were dialated slightly. She almost looked peaceful. He looked back at Aberforth, "She's out cold."

"Alright." Aberforth nodded, pointed to the door behind her. "Take her back there for now, she can sleep on the couch. After I close, I'll help you get her to the school."

"Your going to help carry her all the way to Hogwarts?" Malfoy gawked at him.

Aberforth just shook his head, kept his eyes on Hermione. "There is a lot you don't know about this place, and the people in it."

Malfoy looked down at the girl, "I'm starting to figure that out."

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He pulled a chair up next to the couch, looked around the gold walls. He knew her's were red, the color of loyalty and bravery. His walls were supposed to be green, but he'd been persistant. Anything but green, the color from which evil was spawned in many shapes and sizes.

She stirred, began to move in her sleep. He touched her cheek and she calmed. Carefully he brushed the hair out of her face, charmed by the sensation of it. He smiled, wondered what it would have been like if he'd been nicer to her while they were in school. Would things have turned out differently between them or would the passive-agressive feud between houses have kept friendship an impossible hope? There would never be any chance of knowing.

She opened her eyes slightly looked around the room. If she was shocked, she hid it well. "I am an idiot." She brushed her hand through her hair, sat upright. "A complete idiot."

"Your not an idiot." Malfoy shook his head, noted the small bump on her forehead. He handed her the coffee he'd conjured. "Here, I'll go get you some ice."

"No, I'll be fine, really." She reached into her jacket, drew her wand out of the thin pocket she'd sewn on the inside. Carefully she touched it to her head, muttered something. It practically vanished.

"Should have figured." He rolled his eyes and she smiled a little, then frowned. "What?"

"I still don't get it," She looked at him for the first time since she woke up, the man who'd cared enough to bring her here. "I've tried to figure it out, but I can't fathom it. Why do you care what I think of you? You weren't exactly the only one that took a swipe."

"That's true, you did sock me third year." He agreed with a smile, settling back into his chair. "But to answer your question, I don't know. I keep asking myself the same thing. Now I have a question for you."

"Shoot." She looked at the walls, noted that they were empty. No pictures of his family, no news clippings with black and white photographs, not a thing to remind him of who he was or where he was from. It was sad and kind of depressing, but it said more about him than clutter ever would. "I'll answer almost anything."

"Why did you come back? I know you had a very good job back at the Minister's office. You gave up that to be a teacher?" Malfoy watched her as she digged for an answer.

"I've wanted to teach since I was, like, four." She shrugged finally. "And Ginny needed a replacement so she asked me. Besides, it's not _that_ bad."

He laughed, "A zoo isn't that bad, but I don't intend to live in one." Then he got serious again. "And Weasley, he doesn't mind you being so far away?"

"He actually incouraged it." She told him, tying her hair back with a holder she found in her pocket. "Things between us, well, it's rather complicated. And I really shouldn't be telling you any of this."

"Well, you need someone to talk to." Malfoy left his chair to sit next to her. "You can't talk to Potter, him and Ron are close, and Ginny's his sister. Sometimes it's good just to have a friend that you can talk freely with, about anything."

"Is that what you are? A friend?" She asked so quietly, he almost wasn't sure she said it.

"That's what I want to be." He took her hand in his, looked at how her fingers fit perfectly between his. "To be the one you trust, someone you can depend when you need anything."

"That's a scary thought." She laughed once, "You don't even know why, how can you be so sure that you want to be my friend?"

"There's nothing I can do about my past. It just is. But I can do something about the future." He tucked a piece of hair behind her ear with the hand that wasn't entwined with hers. "And this time I get to choose my own friends."

"And you choose me?" She gazed into his steely grey eyes, trying to find a truth that wasn't there. There was no hatred left to hang onto, no reason to turn away.

"Yes, I choose you." He smiled, a soft smile that melted just a small piece of her heart from the inside out. "Because you are a sweet, intellegent, generous person. And you care, no one's ever cared as much as I've seen you care."

"Draco." She cleared her throat, it didn't feel as strange as she thought it would. Saying his first name.

"Right, we should probably get started on the ball." He pulled away from her with so much ease, as if he could just change directions in a millisecond.

"Right." She smiled. "The ball."


	4. Friends and Lovers

**Ok, so I was going to make Ron into an asshole, but I couldn't. Although he may have plunged into jerk territory. FYI: I do not hate Ron and hermione pairings, this is just the one I chose to write, no haters please. Thank you so far for being amazing.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own........(Insert drabble here.)**

* * *

"Mel." She sighed as she turned to the young girl, noted that she'd braided her light hair. "This is the fourth time this week that I've had to ask you to stay after. I'm concerned about you."

"It's not necessary, Prof. Granger." She shook her head, adjusted her glasses. "I'm fine."

"Then why are you afraid to answer questions, I know you know the answers." Hermione looked her in the eyes, as she would a friend. " If something's going on, it's possible I can help."

"There's nothing you can do." She insisted, pushing herself off of her chair. There was a knock on the door. Mel looked expectantly at her, Hermione knew she wasn't getting anything else today.

"Come in." She sighed, watched Mel with curiosity as her face lit up. Hermione spared Draco a glance, there was no real need.

"Draco!" The girl jumped into his arms, a huge grin on her face. He picked her up and hugged her tightly before putting her back down. She put on her best pout. "You haven't come to see me in _forever_."

"I know, pumpkin, I've been busy." He knelt down to her level, smiled as he tugged on her braid. "Really busy."

"Mama said you went to live with the muggles." She wrinkled her nose at the thought. Hermione grimaced, wondering if she'd misjudged the girl. Could she really think so badly of muggles?

"That's right." He laughed, "And you know what I found out?"

Mel leaned closer slightly, as if he was going to tell her something nobody else knew. "What?"

"Muggles are amazing, kind people. Everything your mother taught you about them, you need to know that none of it's true. They're just like you and me, only a little different."

Mel didn't look entirely convinced. "I don't know, she says they're weak and slow."

"Well, she's very, very wrong." He grimaced. He didn't like speaking of her mother, the cold hearted bitch. "I need to speak to Prof. Granger for a minute, alone."

"Alright." She threw her arms around his neck, squeezed him once. And then she was gone. He stood, his eyes met Hermione's. Without a word, he shut the door.

"You know something." She stated simply, her voice breaking the silence.

He nodded, "I know a lot of things." Her eyes flashed with impatience. "It's not my place to say."

She understood, understood perfectly. With great caution, she slipped on her jacket. "Trust is a two way street, Malfoy." He winced, she hadn't called him Malfoy for two weeks.

"I trust you," He amended, " But it's her problem, not mine. Just believe me when I say I will tell you, when and if there's no other real option."

"Fine." She shook her head. " I guess that is as good as it's going to get. I was going to ask you if your planning to drop by tonight."

"Unless I get held up, that was the plan." He smiled, glad to have avoided yet any possible argument. Maybe, just maybe he could tell her soon. "See you at dinner then." He walked out with a smile on his face, one she'd never quite understand and that bothered her. She understood everything, or she'd thought so at least.

"Right." She rolled her shoulders, trying to release the tention that was building there. "Dinner."

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It was late and they sat in the corner of the library. No one would bother them here, so they'd have a chance to actually accomplish something. She scanned her notes, trying to find that one item she was missing. " What day are we doing this again?"

"Valentine's day." He pointed to the scrawled handwriting somewhere in the middle of the page. " You need to learn to write more clearly, at least so that you can read it."

"I can read it." She pouted, glancing back down at the paper. "Sometimes."

"Sure." He tugged on her ponytail. "So, you bringing Weasley to the the ball?"

"I don't know." She grimaced. In the three months she'd been here, there had been several letters from everyone back home, but none from Ron. Not one word, not even a syllable. It should have been heart breaking but she'd expected it. Still, it stung. "I feel like I'm losing him, Draco, which is silly because I never really had him."

He reached out to touch her hand, a small gesture of support she'd grown so fond of. " You think too little of yourself, Hermione."

"Oi! What the bloody hell is this?" The one voice that could make Hermione crumble shouted angrily. Somebody, she imagined it was probably Madam Pince, shushed him within seconds.

Hermione snapped her hand away from Draco's as fast as possible, turned in her chair to get a better look at Ron. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she noted that he'd cut his hair again, so that it was neat and tidy. "Please try to remember your in a library, Ronald, and students are trying to study."

Draco tried his best to hide his smirk, and faced him with a more important question. " Why are you even here, Weasley?"

Ron turned on him. "Keep your slimy mouth out of this, you Slytherin scum!"

"Ron." Hermione rose to her feet, ignoring Draco's efforts to pull her back down next to him. She kept her voice low, knowing that if he didn't calm down this would end badly. " We'll deal with this, but not right here." She looked at Draco with an apologetic smile. "We'll continue this another time."

She walked out and she didn't stop walking until she was safely in her own rooms. Only then was she free to speak to Ron, whom had followed her quite quickly. " Just how many screws are loose in that good for nothing head of yours?"

"What am I supposed to think?" Ron countered. " I find you holed up in the back corner with someone we've both hated with a passion. And you know what, _Professor,_you seemed awfully cozy to me. I mean, come on, Hermione, he's a former death eater. You should know better."

"You've hit the nail on the head there, I know better. I know better than to believe that's honestly why your yelling at me." Without really thinking about it, she pulled out her wand and muffled the walls. "But if that's what your going to go with, He's a nice guy and we work together. I'm not going to avoid him just because we were on different sides three years ago."

"That's good, that's really great, Hermione." Ron laughed dangerously, as if he knew something she didn't. "Wait until Harry knows about this. Oh, he's going to be extremely pissed. Even worse than me. And Ginny, well, we all know how she can be during PMS, I'd hate to see what'd happen with her hormones now. I'm going to have to tell them, Hermione, I'm not going to lie for you this time."

"_This time?_" She rolled her eyes. "When have you ever bothered to lie for me before. And it's not necessary. They already know, and they're trusting me to pick my friends, something you should take into consideration."

"Your my girlfriend." Ron crossed the distance between them to grasp her wrist. " I get a say in who you choose to associate yourself with."

She pulled away from him in utter disgust, she couldn't take it anymore. If only things would just rewind, and she'd be allowed this one friendship. Somewhere in her heart, she knew that things would get better. But the rest of her heart was drowned in remorse. Her eyes were wet when she managed to look at him, her voice so mournful. "_Was_ your girlfriend, Ron. And that never meant you owned me."

"Your breaking up with me." Ron's eyes widened in pure disbelief, that certainly made this easier. Although, he'd planned to give it to her gently. Suddenly he realized that maybe this was the end for the friendship they'd forged, although he was never going to let that go completely.

She nodded, wiped at the water in her eyes. With a sigh, she lowered on to the couch."You haven't given me a choice, I've done everything I can to hold us together and it wasn't enough."

"We're going to be alright, aren't we?" He sat down next to her, keeping his respectable distance. "I mean, your not going to say 'let's just be friends', right?"

She laughed, shaky but real. "No, although I certainly would want to stay as close as we were second year."

"We can work on that." He smiled a little, waited a moment. "So, Malfoy, huh."

"Yeah." She smiled almost absently, "Draco."

" Never thought I'd see the day one of us could say that without following it with something nasty." He rubbed the back of his neck, as he did when he couldn't think of what to say. " Can't say I'm happy for you, 'cause I'll never be able to believe it. But if that's what you want to do, then no one's gonna stop you."

"Thank you." She felt that small part of her heart grow, and she was certain they'd be able to maintain that easy friendship they'd once had. Without as much work as she'd have thought. Indeed, they would definately be alright, and they could still handle whatever came thier way. "Now, get out, I still have things to do."


	5. secrets, dumplings, and cornbread

" I'm sorry." Hermione sighed as Draco relaxed into the couch next to her. It was pointless to tell him that it was late, he knew it. But he'd stay here until he was ready to leave. Besides, this felt right, being here like this, but that was a thought for another time. " Ron didn't mean anything he called you. He, well, our friendship sort of shocked his system."

" Figured that." He shrugged, " Don't worry about it, I probably would have reacted the same if I were in his shoes."

She shook her head with a disbelieving laugh. " Nobody reacts like Ron. I remember my first month at the Ministry. I was working with Percy Weasley on some interdepartmental papers that didn't get filed right and Ron walks in. He didn't say anything, just stood there so neither of us actually noticed him. Well, I was handing Percy a quill and our hands brushed. Ron flipped out and smashed him in the jaw, his own flesh and blood. So I stand by what I say when I tell you, nobody reacts quite like Ron."

" I'll take your word for it." He patted her leg before rising. " Even from where I stood, I could see how close you guys are. It'll be a sad day if that ever completely fades away."

She couldn't help what she said, it came out of her mouth without thought. " How do you always know exactly what to say?" She knew it was stupid, he couldn't possibly always know. That would be slightly creepy and really weird. But he usually did know what she needed to hear. And usually it was the truth.

" I don't." An overwhelming rush of guilt rushed over him, forcing him to sit back down. He took one of her hands, held it securely in both of his. " Hermione, there's something I've been putting off for awhile now, and I think it's time you knew. But, I'm not sure how you'll take it."

" I won't judge you if that's what you're afraid of." She brushed his bangs out of his eyes with her free hand. " You can tell me anything."

" I really hope you can still believe that when I'm finished." He smiled doubtfully. Somehow, he didn't think she'd handle his admission too well. "I've been spending my summers with a family of muggles. I never even considered it ten years ago, but it was great. There's so much I didn't realize, I learned so much."

" Good for you." Hermione smiled, only slightly confused as to why that was supposed to shock her. " Taking a break from the life we live can save you from going insane. Your not the only one who takes a vacation once and a while."

" Your not seeing the whole picture here." He shook his head, looked down at their hands. She'd become such a good friend, he didn't know how much she'd hate him, but he prayed she wouldn't completely shut him out for good. She couldn't think of him as just Malfoy again, he didn't want it to get that bad. "The family I was with, they aren't strangers to the world of witch's and wizards.

" Really?" She laughed, it struck her that she knew why he was fretting. She'd figured it out a while ago, the day she'd gotten the letter from her parents.

"They have a daughter." He continued as if he hadn't heard her so he didn't notice the way she tried to stop him. "She's a muggle born and probably the reason I began to reconsider my opinion of them."

"I see." She pulled her hand away. If he wasn't going to let her stop him, she couldn't resist a little teasing. Drag out his nervous panic just a little while longer. " Why didn't you tell me you had a girlfriend?"

"Because I... What?" He blinked, she'd jumped from muggle born daughter to girlfriend in two seconds. He should have expected that. " I don't have a girlfriend." She couldn't contain her laughter any longer. shaking from the effort, she kept her mouth shut. "Hermione, this isn't funny." She burst into giggles, leaving him more than slightly frustrated. "Hermione, I'm trying to tell you that I've been living with your parents."

After she got herself under control, she gave him a steady look. " Draco, do you think I'm naive?"

" No, of course not." It was his turn to be slightly confused. She wasn't mad, she should have been furious. Come on, how could she look so calm and amused after hearing that the man she hated for years had been staying at her house, talking to her parents?

" Did you honestly believe my parents would just blindly accept you? Even after knowing how dangerous certain wizards are?" She just smiled, that one look settled everything that had been buzzing inside of him. She really wasn't going to hate him for it. She understood. " They asked me about you, asked me whether or not you should be trusted. And I told them I didn't know."

"Why would you tell them that?" He looked away with a frown, " You had every reason to say the exact opposite, every right."

She tucked her legs up under her, chose her words carefully. "Which is why I didn't. I'm sick of people seeing me and thinking they know exactly what I'm going to do, what I'm going to say."

He just stared at her for a moment. "But I could have hurt them, I had opportunity."

She laughed, shook her head. "If you were going to kill them, you would have done so the moment you were in the house. And if you had, well, I'd have come after you with a vengeance like you've never seen."

"Scary thing is," He sighed out of relief. " I actually believe you." He stood again, glad to clear the air even part of the way. He may still have secrets from her but that was out of the way. They'd deal with the next time when it came. "Are you going to be alright by yourself tonight?"

She knew he wasn't talking about her parents anymore, but about Ron. She slanted him a look, though there was humor in her eyes. "And if I said I wouldn't be alright, would you stay with me?"

"Yes." He reached out to touch her cheek, her nerves practically exploded. How was it such a sweet gesture could make her stomach flutter. She forced herself to think about his words, instead of the implications of her heart. "You know I would."

She smiled, touched his hand as it still rested on her cheek. "I do know, which is why I know I'm going to be alright. If I need you your never far away."

"That's right." He kissed her hair, turned for the door. "Night, Granger."

"Night, Malfoy." She waved almost absently.

As the portrait swung shut, she rose to light the fire and grabbed her book. Within half an hour she was asleep with her reading glasses on, the book on the floor, dreaming of knights and princesses and a place where the heart was a simple thing.

_She laughed as her brave rescuer lifted her off the feet and spun her. Her brown hair was longer, pulled into a French braid. As he set her back down, she carefully removed his helmet and stared into his steely eyes with complete adoration. His lips met hers as she leaned into him, there was a small breeze, tussling his long blond hair. There was only the two of them, they were only one's that mattered. _

She sat up with a start. She couldn't be. It wasn't right. She'd just broken up with Ron, it wasn't possible to be with Draco. It wasn't a rebound, she'd felt what that was like. When Krum and her split up. It wasn't the same. She honestly wanted a relationship with him and it seemed like an impossible dream. They were weren't the same people when the were kids, sure, but he'd never think of her n that way, he treated her more like the sister and best friend. Besides, it was one thing to be friends with a muggle born, it was another thing entirely to date one. 

And that was the moment she decided. She wouldn't admit, not to anyone, what she felt for Draco. She knew what it was like to hide her emotions to protect people. And she was fine with the side effects. Sure, she may get quiet sometimes, catch herself staring at him, but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle.

* * *

There was a small laugh behind him as he tripped over a backpack. He didn't dare turn around, his focus would be completely lost if he did. "I expect those essays to be ready for class on Tuesday. You have fifteen minutes of class time left, use it wisely."

He glanced at her, she was just leaning in the doorway, watching his class. But there was something in her eyes. Something deceptively off. There was a sparkle there, one that couldn't be explained with words. So he said nothing, staying at the front of the class to answer questions the students had.

Though it was a little disconcerting, all the girls in his seventh year class just stared at him with dreamy eyes. He tried not to dwell on it, it was better not to know what they were thinking. With a shaky laugh, he dismissed his class, saving himself from the incessant questions of one particular girl who had come on to him several times over the last two years.

Hermione stepped out of the way, making room for students and books and laughter. Her spirits just a little brighter, she watched him start to take a drink. "I wouldn't drink that if I were you."

He put it down quickly, sloshing it slightly. Stricken, he looked up at her from his desk. "Why? What'd they replace it with?"

She chuckled, sat on the corner of his desk. Screw acting like a good little girl, she was going to drive him crazy until he saw things her way, subtly of course. That was the conclusion she'd come to after pretending not to think about him during classes, just not possible. She crossed her legs, drawing purposeful attention to the length of them. "You really should learn not to leave your coffee out on your desk, seeing as your completely desired by about fifty percent of your class."

"Seventy-five. And I know." He held his head in his hands, refused to think about the pinstripe pants she wore or the fact that she wasn't wearing what she'd had on during breakfast. This was different, sexier, and it fuzzed him mind. "It's a curse I must bear. Are you going to tell me or do I have to pour it down your throat?"

"I'd like to see you try." She laughed, looked at him over her shoulder. " You know, I had the same problem for about a week, then I learned fast." She watched him scowl, scooped her fingers through her deliberately messy hair. Something darkened in his eyes for a brief second, he stared at her lips a moment, and she stopped. Lust was not what she was after, just a mere benefit. "One of the girls slipped a love potion into it, while the other was distracting you."

"I see, thank you then. I'd hate to become obsessed with a student. So, is there any reason you wanted to see me?" He cleared his throat, ordered himself to get a grip. She couldn't be doing this to punish him. It was doubtful she even knew what she was doing, how it made it difficult to form a decent thought.

"Yeah." She stood back up, turned around to face him. "I'm going to my parents tonight, and I was wondering if you'd like to tag along."

"Depends." He tapped the desk with the quill he'd picked up. "Will there be chicken dumplings?"

She just laughed. "That would be a, duh. And my mom's making cornbread."

* * *

"Well," He stood and grabbed his jacket. "What are we waiting for?"

She looked around the familiar street, her heart warming. This would always be the place that called to her, no matter how grown up she was. Beside her, Draco shifted uncomfortably. "You sure you want me here?"

"Don't be stupid." She rolled her eyes, linked their arms together. "Your family now. You'll be fine."

"Still," He grimaced as her steps never faltered. " It's a little weird."

"I see." She looked at him through her lashes, drawing his mind to a blank. " I can always stay back if your going to feel uncomfortable."

He couldn't remember why he was going to be uneasy. He could only see her, and couldn't imagine leaving her side for anything. "Oh, ah, no. I think we'll be fine."

"Right." She agreed as she opened the door. "Mom! Dad!" She could hear commotion in the living room, crossed to check it out. Her mother stepped out with a huge grin on her face, wrapped her arms around her.

Right, Draco thought, zero weirdness. Her father was out in seconds, with a sly smile he shook Draco's hand. "It's good to see you again."

"Same here, sir." He smiled, any thoughts of feeling out of place disappeared instantly as he was accepted as openly as ever.

Hermione looked at her mom and dad carefully, taking in every detail, every gray hair and wrinkle that had come while she'd been away. Then she remembered the noise. "Who else is here?"

They looked at each other and shrugged. "Everybody." Her mom laughed, as more people spilled out into the entry way.


	6. A day with the Grangers

She looked at all the grinning faces and joined the crowd eagerly. Draco just stood back and marveled at the number of people, and they all loved her. It wasn't hard to believe. But he wondered if they knew what she was, where she lived, and what she chose to do with her life. Would she have loved them enough to share her secret with them? It was almost impossible to imagine this many people being okay with magic.

Then again, what did it matter? If you cared for someone, did it really matter if they were different? God, she looked radiant, glowing and laughing as she knelt down to talk to the different. There were five of them, two boys and three girls, of all different ages. With a smile, she pulled out her wand and murmured something that had all the children giggling. Translucent butterflies shot from the tip and the children scattered to collect them all. She came back to him, just looked at them all. "Family." She spoke quietly. " It's been so long, I almost forgot how special they all are."

" Your lucky." He nodded with a slight frown. " If even one member of my family showed this much light and energy, I think they'd be disowned."

She touched his arm, waited until he looked at her. He hadn't had to add the fact that he'd been disowned, she'd figured that much out for herself. But, he'd disowned them as well. " You can share mine, there's plenty of that light to spread around."

" I really don't think..." He gave up as she was already retreating into the crowd. Couple minutes later, she came back with her dad in tow.

" Dad, why don't you introduce Draco to all the macho men we have here." She flashed a quick smile as her dad cracked up with laughter. Everyone in the room was skinny as a stick, no real meat on them. " I'll introduce you to the ladies later."

" Why?" Draco grabbed her shoulder, his eyes filled with panic. "What are you up to?"

" You'll be just fine." She lifted his hand off of her and let it drop. " The only one that bites is Crookshanks and that's only if you pick him up when he's not ready."

" I'm not worried about your cat." He glared. " Your jumping ship."

"I'd take offense to that, if you didn't think it was completely true. I am not jumping ship, I'm forming a scouting party and going to shore. And now we're done with the metaphors." She pointed at her mom, their usual signal in a room too loud to be heard.

" Alright, ladies." Her mother's voice echoed through the house. " Abandon your men and load up." She looked at Hermione, no one in the room blinked an eye. " Will you be flying, driving, or apparating?"

Hermione chuckled as shock covered Draco's face. She imagined it _would_ surprise most, to see a group of muggles act like magic was something they experienced every day. But she just couldn't lie to her family, so she'd told them everything between first and second year. After getting complete permission from Dumbledore. And they'd accepted her as if she'd simply told them she had gotten a tattoo. " My family rocks." She squeezed his hand before going to grab the keys from her mother. " Brooms make me sick, I drive."

"Right." Was all her aunt said as they began to file out the door. Draco just stood next to her father in complete denial. She couldn't have just left him here, she wouldn't do that to him. But sure enough, she'd gone and left in the watchful eyes of her protectors, all six of them if you didn't include the two children.

They all burst out into laughter, breaking their tough facade. " Man, it's about time they left." One clapped his hands together. " Why doesn't someone break out the beer, and chocolate milk for our younger macho men."

Maybe, just maybe he'd get through this in one piece.

She stood at the mirror, couldn't believe what she saw. It was perfect, she just needed to get it adjusted. Her aunt sat in one of the chairs. "So, you and that handsome young man, huh?"

"There is no us, Aunt Jenny, we're just friends." She smiled at her aunt patiently, they'd gone over this in the car, and they'd go over it again until one of them gave in.

"Ha." the woman snorted. "Not if I know anything about you, my dear. You've got eyes for him."

Hermione turned back to the mirror, locked eyes with her aunt through it. " Anybody'd have eyes for him, he's attractive and smart. You'd have to be blind and deaf to not take a second look at him."

" You know exactly what I mean. You don't bring a man home if he doesn't put a flutter in your heart." Her aunt smiled as the seamstress who was adjusting the dress nodded, neither one of them were that dumb. The only person who couldn't see what Hermione felt was the poor boy himself.

" He's already met my parents." Hermione rolled her eyes, winced as a pin went into her skin. By the look on the seamstress's face, frustrated and annoyed, it'd probably been intentional. And she knew the woman was on her aunt's side. That really wasn't fair, she was getting double teamed. " For goodness sake, he lived with them."

" It's a different thing entirely when he comes with you though." Jenny sat straight in her chair, determined to prove a point. This girl was tough, but she'd be tougher. " And your buying a dress, aren't you?"

" Yes, I'm buying a dress. Don't tell me that it's some insane sign of destiny." Hermione wished her aunt would just drop it. There was no good in bringing things up when she hadn't even figured it all out for herself. There were so many things to consider, she just wanted time to figure it all out now. God, she should have thought of that before she decided to act on these stupid sensations.

"You have a dress, one that with a couple alterations would fit you perfectly." Aunt Jenny gave her that all knowing look. " And your not one to spend money if it doesn't mean something to you. So why'd you want another one?"

"Because he's..." he'd seen her in that one already. Damn, she had it bad, that didn't mean she wanted to admit it. But the cat was out of the bag now, she'd already opened her mouth. " Your right," She sighed, " I have eyes for him, big time. You happy now?"

"Definitely," Her mom laughed as she stepped into the room, the other seven women and the three younger girls filtered in. They all looked at her with a smug look. How could they have all known? Enough to set this up and get the answer they wanted. Her family was horribly persistent, but she couldn't be angry at them. If it was one of her cousins, it'd be the same routine. " That's my call, Jenny, ten bucks.

" Mom," Hermione complained, though she would never completely mean it. " You haven't bet on me in years."

"You've hardly given me opportunity, now tell us everything." She sat on the arm of Aunt Jenny's chair. They shared a look, one that made Hermione wish she'd had a sister. Someone who knew her well enough to practically read her mind.

" She's in love with him." Aunt Jenny patted her leg, smirked at Hermione. There was a gleam in her eye, a wicked sense of humor. " They picked me to talk to you for a reason. I know what to look for."

" I am not in love with him. And he's not in love with me," She smiled coyly over her shoulder. " Yet." There was a drawn out whistle, one she knew came distinctly from her grandmother. That was what they'd wanted to hear, that she'd consider doing something about it.

"Oh my goodness." The twelve years old, Amanda, stood against the mirror, looked up at her cousin. Her big brown eyes sparkled, her sandy brown hair still frizzy and impossible to work with. It was like looking in a mirror. " She _is_ in love with him."

" You have the same problem as your mother." Hermione laughed, " You think you see things that aren't there." She looked in the mirror, caught a glimpse of herself, " And it's complicated."

Her mother rolled her eyes, a sigh escaped from Aunt Jenny. " What is so complicated about love, you close your eyes, leap, and if your lucky you land on your feet."

"And if I'm not lucky, I not only ruin a friendship, but it's very possible I could create a situation at the school."

She got out of the van, caught the smell of alcohol and the sounds of distinctly male laughter. The rest of the women just rolled their eyes and headed inside, no one thought too much about it when she didn't follow them. Turning toward the back yard, she couldn't help but laugh. And there they were, all eight of them sitting at a table under the shade of the tree that'd been there since before she could remember. He looked confused, was the only thing that crossed her mind as she stayed out of view. It was better to wait until her father saw her, so that she wouldn't break some unspoken rule about boys only.

After a minute, she caught on to their conversation. No wonder Draco looked confused, they were trying to explain football to him. But he just wasn't getting it. She rolled her eyes, all wizarding boys were just clueless. She remembered trying to explain it to the Weasley boys, and now she knew, actions were much better than words.

Stepping up to the back door, she reached down and grabbed the football. Without a word, she knocked on the screen door and held it up. The door opened and her aunts, Jenny, Sarah, and Hailey, plus her cousins, Amanda, Dori (10), and Stacy (6) stepped out. She threw the ball, laughed as it hit her dad in the chest. "Hey!" She waved her hands to get their attention. " Pick a captain!"

Almost everybody in the circle pointed to her father, except Draco, who looked completely lost. Her dad rose, walked toward her. Accustomed to the ritual, she met him in the middle. "Men against women, or captain's pick."

"Oh." He thought about it for a second. "Well, I suppose the weaker sex does need some real muscle to balance the team."

"Great." She smiled, took the football from him. "We'll just send Amanda and Stacy right over to give you boys a hand." There was a loud commotion of catcalling and baiting as she smirked.

"Now," He grabbed the ball back. "Your really going down."

"Bring it." She laughed, started back toward the girls. " Boys against girls it is."

They were standing right outside the school, looking right up at the stars. Neither really wanted to say goodnight. "I still can't believe," He glanced over at her, a new kind of admiration in his eyes. "That you play football_ and_ you play Barbies."

"That's a Granger for you." She shrugged, a smile played on her lips. "You didn't seem that out of place to me."

"No." He thought about it for a second, realized he hadn't really felt uncomfortable after he stopped thinking about it. "I guess not."

She laughed, still relaxed and half lazy. "I can't believe Christmas is only a couple of weeks away. Then after that, well, I'm only here until March, then the replacement should be here." Letting out a sigh, she adjusted her jacket. "Well, I guess I'll see you at breakfast."

"Right." He nodded absently, his thoughts drifting. He barely even noticed she had left as he watched the twinkling lights above. She'd be leaving, he'd almost forgotten that. March, only three months away. Would they still see each other, or would she go back to her life and just forget about him? He knew it'd been too good to last. But, just in case, he'd make the best of it, and pray that this thing they had, whatever it was, would only get better.


	7. 4 gold packages

* * *

_Okay, so I forgot to mention in my last chapter that Hermione's parents live somewhere warm, and that it is close to Christmas while their there, so the conversation at the end is just the day after. Thank you to Angelo'sGma for bringing that up. This is not my best chapter, but I think some of you might enjoy it.. _

Music filtered through the small radio in the corner of the large room. McGonagall just stood there, watching the party underway. It wasn't very big, then again, there weren't that many teachers. A huge tree towered over them, lit and glittering as if someone had sprinkled glitter over it in buckets. Everyone had mingled, breaking off from their small groups of close colleagues to spread the Christmas joy. Draco was having a very animated discussion with Professor Flitwick about pretty much everything while Hermione was in a heated debate with Professor Trelawney and Professor Sprout. All in all, it was a very enjoyable evening.

Hagrid came over to stand next to her, offered her an eggnog. "No, thanks." She smiled a little.

He looked at her for a moment, nodded, and let his eyes scan the crowd. "Why aren't ya enjoyin' the party?"

"I'm just not in a Christmas spirit, not since..." She let her voice fade, remembering the last time she enjoyed the holidays. It'd been comfortable, just her and Dumbledore sharing a drink in his office, toasting to the one holiday he ever truly seemed to get into. But that was a long time ago, the year before he'd died.

"Yeah," Hagrid watched Hermione for a minute, noted the way she'd glance in Draco's direction every so often. She was lost on him, that was easy enough to see. " It's been kinda empty without 'im 'ere."

"I remember this one year, he insisted that everybody must buy one present, and then we'd each get one randomly. Everyone thought he was insane, but it became tradition." She adjusted her glasses as an excuse to wipe her suddenly moist eyes. "Well, that's all in the past."

"Not all of it." Hagrid shook his head and looked at her in one of those moments that you know whatever he's about to tell you will be something you should hear. " We can't let memories get in the way of Christmas, 'e wouldn't like that very much."

Meanwhile, Hermione broke away from her conversation and slipped out for a brief second. A few minutes later, she came back with several small packages. She walked around, giving one to each to each person. Most of the packages were green, but there were four gold ones. Grinning, she handed one to McGonagall and one to Hagrid. And she left them, staring at the packages in their hands.

She waited across the room, pretending not to watch. The other two presents were down beside her where she was sitting on the couch. Draco came and sat next to her, tried to figure out what she was staring at. "You're one strange lady." He told her finally.

"Shhh." She put her finger to her mouth as she watched. Hagrid's face lit up when he saw the photograph in the wooden frame. It was a collage of pictures, including one that Harry and Ginny had just sent her where she definitely had a bump. And McGonagall seemed happy with the golden apple and first edition of _A Christmas Carol_.

Draco just smiled, tucked a piece of hair behind her ear when she looked at him. "That was nice, really nice."

She laughed, once. " I had to get it all in now, I'm spending Christmas Eve and half of the morning with my folks."

"And I don't get one?" He teased as she just looked at him with such a serious expression and shook her head. It wasn't until he actually started to believe her that she reached down and handed him one of the presents. He ripped the gold paper open, stared at the football with humor in his eyes. "Gee, thanks, Hermione. A reminder that although I'm good on a broom, I can't play sports on my feet."

"Your welcome, just don't throw it indoors, trust me." She held the last package, thought about it for a second before genuinely smiling. "Want to take a little walk?"

"Why not?" He couldn't figure out who the other package was for, certainly not a teacher or a student. And as she grabbed her coat and hat, he followed. Once they were completely bundled up, he tucked the football under his arm and they headed out.

It was a long and very cold walk, but soon they were in Hogsmeade. Thick Hollywood flakes fell around them, covering them. She'd have said something about it, but saying anything might break the beauty of the moment. The glow of the lights inside the Hog's Head reflected off of the snow and it looked like it might have in an illustration for a book. Now he knew where they were going. They were going to see Aberforth.

The pub was as quiet and empty as it usually was, half hearted decorations brought only the tiniest bit of spirit to the patron's hearts. There was a skimpy tree in the corner, no more than five ornaments hanging from it. Aberforth looked up from where he cleaned a portion of the bar. "Well, what'll you both be having?"

"Hey, Aberforth," She slid into a stool, kept the package tucked inside her jacket. "I take hot chocolate, if you have any."

"If I have any." He muttered distractedly as he turned away from her to look at Draco. "And you, boy?"

"The same, thanks." Draco laughed at the look on Hermione's face as she watched Aberforth. He'd have no idea what was coming, and she acted so cool about it. They could have just come in for that drink by the bland stare she wore. But he could see it in the slight upward curve of her lips, in the way her eye brows drew together. It was almost incredible.

Aberforth stayed and chatted with them, though he tried to look like he'd rather do anything else. She knew better, continued to keep the conversation flowing when it lapsed into silence. After the last of their chocolate was gone, she just smiled and set the package down on the bar. "Merry Christmas, Aberforth."

He stared dumbly at it, what was he supposed to say? Nobody'd bothered to give him a Christmas present in ages, even his own brother had forgotten in the end. Not that he blamed him, too much was happening at the time. But now she stood there, just smiling. And then they were gone, leaving him alone with the foreign object.

She was giddy as the night air chilled her to the bone. With a laugh, she turned to Draco, the white fluff powdering her hair. "Let me see the football." She held out her hand.

Cautious, he handed it over, did as he was told when she told him to back up. When he was a few meters away, she just looked at the ball. "To Draco." She told it. The ball seemed to flash in her hand for a brief second, causing Draco to blink. Then she threw it, widely to the left. He watched it as it seemed to completely turn midair. With very little effort, he caught it, flipped it over in his hands. There, in letters that were hardly readable, it said..._brought to you by Weasley Wizard Wheezes._

He just laughed when she walked over to him and looked down at the ball, "Now how did that get on there?" She feigned innocence. "You better not let my dad see that next time you drop by."

He didn't really think, all he could see, smell, taste, and think was her. And as he cupped her face with his hand, he couldn't care about the consequences. Their lips met, so chaste, so gently that they'd barely touched. But it was enough to cause butterflies in her stomach.

She touched his arm, too wrapped up in him to see the logic that she cared so much about. It was this she'd dreamed about every night, this one moment amongst a lifetime. When he pulled away from her, he looked stunned, speechless. He broke away from her, walking quickly back up the path as she stood there trying to find level footing.

He'd kissed her, he'd actually kissed her. And then he'd walked away as if it hadn't affected him at all. She just watched him, piecing her shattered mind back together. One thing she knew for a fact, that man could kiss.

There was a commotion in her class room, being the first day back to class. "Please try to pay attention." She glanced at Mel's seat, slightly disturbed to find it empty. There was a quiet knock and she turned. "Well, there you are."

"Sorry, Professor Granger." She ducked her head. Draco stepped up behind her, patted her shoulder.

"It was my fault, I kept her after a little longer than I realized." He filled in. Hermione couldn't get her mouth to work. They hadn't spoken since that night, and he seemed to disappear every time she found him. And now, the only thing she could see was their lips meeting, his hand against her cold cheek. She cleared her throat, pushed the memory from her mind.

"That's quite alright." She nodded, turning back to the class. " Chapter thirteen." And with that, Mel slipped into her seat and Draco disappeared once again. Hermione knew her cheeks were hot, and by the whispers of her class, they saw it too. Great, terrific, another reason you don't get involved with another professor.


	8. Butterscotch

She was sick of it, three weeks and he still hadn't even spoken to her for more than five seconds. And as she stalked through the halls, students watched her, watched her face as they pretended to talk about other things. It was late, students would have to get to bed soon. Who did he think he was? Kissing her like that and then just walking off as if it'd had no effect on him. She didn't want to think about him, refused to. But those unpleasant thoughts wormed their way back into her subconscious, filling her nights with sweet kisses and happy memories.

What was she supposed to do when the man who captured your mind refused to look you in the eye unless it was necessary. It infuriated her and depressed her and she could feel her own emotions start to affect how she did her job. That ended now.

She'd find him and get this sorted out, tonight. If he wanted to stop being friends, that was just fine, she just wanted to know so that she could get on with her own life. And that struck a nerve. Who the hell was she kidding? If he wanted to back out now, it'd tear her apart. She'd survive, but she'd be broken.

And she turned down her hallway, already planning her course of action. She'd use the map Harry'd given her and track him down. Then she stopped dead, Draco was climbing out of his own portrait hole, their eyes met and she sighed. He watched her as she walked toward him, turned to get away.

And she reacted, closing the distance and shoving him against the wall. She dug the heel of her palms into his shoulders so that he couldn't move. "Your going to talk to me this time." She let out a breath, felt her body relax slightly. But she didn't change the tension in her grip.

"Hermione." His voice broke from panic. She was close enough that he could feel her body pressed against his slight. He'd have lost his sanity, were it not for the sharp pain in both of his shoulders where she still had her hands. She'd keep him against the wall until she got what she wanted, he knew she was strong enough to. "Your hurting me."

"Good." There was fire in her eyes, a temper he couldn't understand. How could she be so mad at him? He hadn't even done anything yet. Her voice dripped with venom and something even more confusing, he heard hurt. "Why have you been avoiding me, Draco?"

"I haven't..." He started to object. She pressed him him harder against the wall. He bit back a whimper, this was a different kind of violence, one he could accept.

She wasn't his father, Lucius' violence had been cold, without reason, and a form of punishment. While Hermione was like fire and she hurt because she was hurt, it was a kind of balancing the scales. "Don't lie to me, Malfoy, I thought we were done with this sort of things."

And she released him, the anger draining out of her face with those last words, taking the color with it. Now he could see what she'd been doing her best to mask. There was a whole lot of hurt, and rejection. "Hermione." He reached out to lay his hand on her shoulder. "It's not like that, I swear."

She looked away from him, doubtful and unsure of her own actions. This was a first for her, she'd always known exactly what she was doing. And now she felt similar to a fish out of water. "What _is_ it then?" He didn't answer. "If we're past all that, then why would you kiss me and just walk away? Why would you avoid me?"

"I needed time," Draco turned her back toward him so that he could look into her eyes. He needed to make her believe. "To think. This was never supposed to happen, Hermione, I wasn't going to kiss you, I really wasn't."

She blinked, "You didn't want to kiss me?"

"That's not what I said," His fingers traveled down her arms, leaving a tingling sensation where his skin touched hers. "I said I wasn't going to." He intertwined his fingers with hers. "But I'm not going to deny that it felt good when I did." He brushed his lips against hers. "This feels right." And he kissed her again. " I didn't mean to give you the wrong impression, really, I..."

She shook her head. "Do yourself a favor, Draco, stop talking for a minute." She pulled him back to her, drowned herself in the taste of him. His arms slid around her waist, pulling her body against his. Her breath caught in her throat as she felt herself surrendering to him. Her hands buried themselves in his hair as he deepened their kiss. He broke away just long enough to clear his throat and say. "Butterscotch." And his portrait swung open as he continued to kiss her.

He guided her through, hardly broke the kiss. "I want you," He told her between kisses. "I've wanted you."

"Then take me." She wrapped her arms around his neck seductively, scrambling his nerves. "Because I've wanted your hands on me for a while now."

* * *

And as they fell on the bed together, they left all their seemingly worthless fears behind.

His fingers trailed along her bare shoulder, tracing invisible designs in her skin and waking her senses. She'd never looked quite so beautiful as she did laying here next to him. She stretched, sighed as she settled back into him, her eyes barely open. "Hey there." He smiled. His fingers grazed her cheek as he leaned down to kiss her.

"Good morning to you too." She murmured, her own smile spreading lazily. She wanted to stay here forever, just like this, in this moment where everything seemed to make sense.

He seemed to read her mind, shook his head slightly. "We both have classes today, we can't stay here, no matter how much we want to."

* * *

"No fair." She sat up, ran her fingers through her hair. "Well, I suppose I should probably go back to my own place, get dressed and all that." And she stood up, grabbed her clothes out of the pile by the foot of the bed. By time she was leaving, he was already dressed and fully awake. It boggled her mind that someone could be so content with the morning. And as she kissed him one last time before she left, she couldn't help but know that she didn't care. If people didn't have something strange in them, then they weren't really people. And she really liked this person.

Her hands were stuffed in her pockets, the winter snow was nothing like the pleasant one they'd had a few days ago. This was harsh, falling in whole chunks. There was no snow at the Grangers, and she'd enjoyed the change, even if she had to leave so soon. And she stumbled through Hogsmeade, desperately wishing that she could just apparate into Hogwarts.

Her thoughts traveled to Draco, a puzzle she was still working on. It'd been two amazingly brilliant weeks, but she could already feel it end. She wasn't staying past March and who knew if distance would be an issue. Doubt and remorse, two emotions she'd never really expected, which had her questioning herself.

She knew she liked him, there was no denying that, but was it possible that she already loved him? Is that what it meant when the butterflies came when he looked at her the way he did? And is that what it meant when she woke up at night, with him the only thing in her thoughts and his smell around her?

She didn't like it. It hadn't been in her plans to feel this way again so soon, and it might lead to another quick ending. But at the same time, she did like it. Because it made her heart fly when he spoke her name in his no nonsense manner, and when she told him things, he actually listened. Nobody'd ever taken the time to listen to her before, not any guy at least. She'd had Ginny, but that wasn't the same, best friends were supposed to listen but it was amazing when a man did. This was slightly confusing.

Her mind barely registered the fact that someone called her name, and ten seconds later, she had a full person on top of her. There was a sharp pain in her head and her hair was full of snow, but she didn't think she was hurt. She blinked, tried to focus on the situation, but she found it hard to breath. "Mel," She managed in a gasp, " What are you doing here? Your not supposed to be in Hogsmeade today."


	9. The shack

Sorry it took so long for me to post, busy with exams, summer, yay. And I wrote this chapter twice and lost both copies. Hope you enjoy. :) Obviously I don't own any of it.

* * *

" Mel." Hermione waited for the girl to get up. " What's wrong?"

" We don't have time." Mel pulled her to her feet, shockingly strong for her age. Then, when the wind blew Mel's hair away from her neck, she saw the gash, still fresh and red. New fear and alarm bubbled up inside her, something was going on and nobody had bothered to clue her in.

" Your hurt." Hermione touched the cut and Mel winced, her fingers were red and sticky with her blood when she pulled her hand away. " Who did this to you?"

She shook her head, locked her eyes on a path that led through the trees, one Hermione had barely ever paid attention to. " I'll explain, I swear I will. Not here."

And she took off, Hermione struggled to catch up. The snow was difficult to tread making the journey slow as they wandered off the path. Finally she caught up, at an abandoned shack. This was not to be confused with the shrieking shack, as she had never seen this one before.

Hermione followed Mel inside. She watched Mel stare at the lock, trying to think it through. " If someone's coming after you, a locked door might only give you three or four seconds, tops." She offered, that was assuming who ever it was was both human and a wizard.

With a slight nod, Mel walked around her and locked the door. " That's a few more seconds than we would have otherwise." She reasoned before turning back to Hermione. There was something different, something so adult in her face and her eyes were tired, tired of everything. " I was going to get Draco, but I must have turned down the wrong corridor, and I couldn't go back. So I went out, just out." She was slightly confused and very lost.

"Mel." Hermione spoke her name quietly, focusing her on the situation at hand. " What is going on?"

" I told her no, for the first time in my life I stood up to her and she got so angry. So, so, so very angry." Mel slid down to the floor, her face in her hands. " So terribly angry."

" Who got angry?" Hermione crouched in front of her, her eyes on the gash. " You need to tel me who hurt you now."

Mel lifted her face from her hands, her cheeks wet and glistening. " My mother." She spoke finally, her voice so frail. "My mother does this to me."

A wave of understanding flooded over her as things became slightly clearer. Mel's strange behavior seemed to make sense now, the mark of a child abused by a loved one. Everything fit, except... "Mel, what changed? Why did it get worse?"

Mel didn't look at her, embarrassed as to what she had to say. "My mom has a problem with muggleborns, she says they're nothing more than dirt. I didn't believe her, and I told her she was wrong.  
"She hit you, because _I'm_ your teacher." Hermione clarified, horrified at the thought.

She nodded. "I don't understand, why?" Mel's face crumbled as she buried her head in Hermione's shoulder. Hermione just folded her into her arms and waited. Absently, she pressed her lips to the girl's hair, not realizing that she was crying too. It was such an easy thing, she didn't even notice as she slid into the role of caregiver seamlessly. Neither of them realized that she was taking her mother's place in Mel's heart. Someone needed to love the child, and if her own mother couldn't do it, well, that was her loss. After a while, the sun had begun to set and Mel was completely still in Hermione's arms. She'd cried herself to sleep. Which was all well and good, except if her mother was really coming after her, then they needed to get help and fast. "Mel." She shook her gently, waited for the grogginess to begin to clear.

But it was too late. The door knob jiggled and Mel snapped to consciousness. They'd been found. Hermione looked around the room, looking for a place to hide away from the door. Quickly she pulled Mel with her, crouching behind the couch that seemed to be the center of the living room. Her wand was warm in her hand. All the windows were boarded up, but she'd seen the other door. The trick was getting there alive.

"Go through the kitchen." She told Mel. "I won't be far behind." Mel just shook her head, she should have known she'd be stubborn, nothing ever went easy. "We don't have time to argue, just get yourself out."

She wasn't sure if Mel had listened to her, or just changed her mind, but she was grateful when Mel crawled into the kitchen. Hermione heard the lock click and jumped to her feet as the door slammed open. And she stopped, terror froze her to that spot.

The woman's eyes looked just as wildly insane as they did in Hermione's mind. Bellatrix Lestrange stood directly in front of her, and she was trapped by her own fear. She could hear screaming, her own, and the twisted laughter. Every muscle in her body seemed to turn to stone, immobilizing her as her thoughts disappeared in a millisecond. Bellatrix smiled, demented and overjoyed as she raised her wand to Hermione. " I've wanted to do this for a very long time." She looked like she meant it, there was death in her eyes.

"Expelliarmus!" A young, steady voice broke through her paralysis as Bellatrix's wand flew from her hand.

Hermione reverted back to the only spell she could think of. One of the first she'd ever used against somebody, or maybe it _was_ the first. She couldn't remember and it really didn't matter. "Petrificus Totalus."

And she watched as Bellatrix stiffened, then fell back in the doorway. She turned, stared at Mel. "I thought I told you to leave."

Mel hadn't yet taken her eyes off of her mother, her sight shifted and she rolled her eyes. "This is one of those exceptions where I really don't have to listen to you."

"Well, thank you." Hermione grabbed Mel's wrist as she started for the back door. "Now come on before that wears off."

They walked back the way they came until they were standing in the middle of the street again. "Where exactly are we going?" Mel asked her as she looked around the empty street.

"To a friend." Is all Hermione could answer. There was no easy way to explain what they were doing, only that it was nothing she could imagine. They stepped inside the Hog's Head where Aberforth was busy washing his counters.

"It's only mid-afternoon, Hermione, too early for a drink." He chuckled a little when he looked up. "Besides, I don't serve alcohol to minors."

"That's okay, Aberforth." She pushed Mel in front of her. "This is Mel. And we're kinda in a spot of trouble."

"What else is new?" He rolled his eyes and stopped what he was doing. "Well, what can I be doing for you?"

Hermione touched Mel's shoulder, urged her forward before clearing her throat to answer him. "We need to use the passage way, if you don't mind. It's kind of an emergency."

"When isn't it?" He shrugged and gestured to the large portrait.


	10. Silver tabby

_HAPPY FATHER'S DAY. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE FATHERS, EVEN IF YOU ALREADY HAVE, GIVE THEM A HUG AND TELL THEM HOW MUCH THEY MEAN TO YOU. BECAUSE ONE DAY YOU WAKE UP AND THEIR NOT THERE AND YOU REALIZE THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE SAID IT WHILE YOU HAD THE CHANCE. AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T HAVE FATHERS, WELL, WE'RE IN THE SAME BOAT SO HAPPY FATHERS TODAY TO US, WHATEVER THE REASON MAY BE._

HOPE YOU ENJOY THE CHAPTER.

* * *

They stumbled out of a closet, and Hermione gasped at the scene before her. There were thousands of objects, each scorched beyond recognition. She couldn't believe the room had survived, even if it was stuck like this, it was a miracle. Mel wrinkled her nose, picked up what used to be a book, though there wasn't much of it left. "Where are we?"

"The room of requirements." Hermione turned to examine the cabinet they had stepped out of. As she had figured, it was the vanishing cabinet that Draco had used during their fifth year. For just a brief moment, she felt guilty, as if she was betraying Dumbledore in her relationship with the man who had set out to kill him. Then she remembered the kind of man Dumbledore was, he'd have loved it. The whole concept of old rivals becoming new lovers would have made his day. And that made it better for reasons that she couldn't understand. Because she knew he'd understand that Draco was no longer the same man he was back then.

Turning her mind away from thoughts that had no purpose now, she went back to examining the cabinet for a moment. It had somehow survived the fire, unlike the rest of the room. The passage that had once opened into what appeared to be a dorm room now came through it. Every thing that people had hidden in here, they were destroyed beyond recognition, very little survived the blaze. "Or at least what's left of it."

"It actually exists." Mel was amazed and Hermione couldn't help but smile. She remembered her own reaction, it had been hard to swallow until she was actually there.

"When we get a chance, I could tell you all kinds of stories about my time here. For now, thought, we have to find a door. If that's possible." She scanned the walls, saw nothing but junk. A couple other items had managed to survive the fire, probably by magic.

"Why wouldn't there be a door?" Mel walked with her, watched as Hermione moved random stuff out of their way without bothering to check it out.

"Because we didn't call on the room, we just kinda walked in." Hermione grimaced. "But, if the rooms stuck like this, it's possible the door's stuck too."

"Is that it?" Mel rolled her shoulders and stepped over what could have been a broom to push a charred tapestry out of the way to reveal a door. "I do the same thing with my room. A long enough tapestry could disguise an entire door."

"Great." Hermione came over as Mel tugged on the handle. It wouldn't budge.

She looked at Hermione in horror. "It's stuck, we're trapped in here."

"Don't freak out." Hermione drew her wand, smiled a little. "You should know better than to think we're stuck like this." She pointed her wand at the door. "Alohamora." The door clicked and swung open as Hermione pushed Mel through. It was shut and gone by time Mel turned back to it. "It closes off quickly to prevent intruders." Hermione explained, trying to capture her breath.

"Why'd we come back to the castle, again?" Mel asked uncertainly as they started down the empty halls. Everyone would now be at dinner, everyone except Draco. He was waiting in the hallway for her, they'd had plans tonight, or he'd had plans that he wouldn't tell her about. She took a second to think back, she was supposed to meet him thirty minutes ago, he probably thought she'd forgotten.

"Because, your cousin needs to know." She rested her hand on Mel's shoulder when she gaped up at her. " I spent a lot of time studying the Black family tree, enough to know that your mother and his are sisters. You know your not going to be able to see her again, right?"

She nodded. "I thought I could try to know her. My entire life, before Hogwarts, I lived with Draco and Uncle Lucius. Then my mother escaped from Azkaban, and she took me to live in the country. She didn't even let me go to school my first year, she taught me her own kind of magic. But Draco talked her into letting me come for the second year, as long as he was going to be here to make sure I didn't make the wrong kinds of friends. And he came over a lot in the summer to teach me the lessons of the first year. I've only lived with her a couple of years, but I can't say that I'm sorry to see it end. Is that bad?"

"No." Hermione stopped her for a second, wanting to say something before they found Draco. "Just because someone gave birth to you, doesn't make them worth your loyalty. No one has a right to hurt you, not even once."

"Do you love your mother?" Mel looked at her honestly.

"Yes." Hermione chose honesty, she didn't need lies to soothe. "But the difference is, my mother was one of the special ones. The kind that would help you bake cookies and make snowmen and scare away all the monsters in the closet so that you could sleep alright."

Someone called her name, she turned, kept her hand on Mel's shoulder as she turned to look at a rapidly approaching Draco. "You were supposed to meet me a half hour ago." He finally saw Mel. "What's going on?"

Mel's hand came up to rest on top of Hermione's as she looked up at Draco. "She's here."

Draco didn't know what to say as he looked at both of them. He had always supposed Bellatrix would stay away as long as Mel was at Hogwarts. He'd been wrong. "How much do you know?"

Hermione thought about it for a second. "What she didn't tell me, I pieced together myself." Like how he was a kind of father figure to Mel, it was in the way they looked at each other and the way he worried. "Mel already knows what has to be done, and I'm sure we'll all agree, it's time to see McGonagall."

"Well," Draco came to stand next to them. He'd never seen Mel so completely settled. She'd been worried from day one. And he could see it, the bond between her and Hermione. It was as if she'd taken a place Bellatrix had neglected. The nurturer and caregiver. He loved it, how easy they were together. But there were more important things to focus on right now. "She's probably still at dinner. But we can wait in her office for now."

* * *

They sat in the huge and slightly intimidating office, none of them speaking a word. Hermione got up to pace and Draco held Mel's hand, slightly nervous. He didn't know if Hermione had realized it yet, but Bellatrix wasn't going to give up his daughter so easily. She was going to come after them. The door opened a crack and a silver tabby with black markings that framed it's eyes ran in. It jumped on the desk and turned to look at Mel, having just noticed her.

Not knowing, Mel got up to pet the cat. Hermione turned in time to smile as she scratched it's ears. Obviously, she'd stopped transforming during class. Maybe she only did that in older classes now, either way, Mel had no idea. Draco chuckled and they shared a look as Mel looked sheepishly over at them. An obvious animal lover. "I didn't know Prof. McGonagall had a cat."

"She doesn't." Hermione couldn't help but laugh before looking the cat straight in the face. Yes, the dignified professor was in there, even if that persona had slipped away for a couple of seconds. "And how are you doing this evening, Professor?"

The cat walked to the corner of the desk and leaped off. By the time her feet hit the floor, she was human again. Mel gasped and Professor McGonagall looked at her with amused eyes. "That was cool." Was all Mel could choke out.

"Thank you, child." McGonagall smiled and looked more seriously at Draco. "I already know why you are here. It's in your eyes, every one of you." She walked around to the other side of her desk. "What is it that you plan to do?"

"Professor." Hermione drew attention away from Mel, knowing that the spot light in a situation such as this never felt too good. " I have some connections. We've already discussed what needs to be done, it's just a matter of using the right connections."

"Alright." Draco stood, came to stand next to her. "What exactly do you suggest we do?"

"First thing, we need to have Mel removed from Bellatrix's custody. However, that's the problem. Bellatrix is apt to get extremely pissed, she'll do everything she can to get at Mel, and I'm afraid she's not going to worry about killing someone."

"If you don't want to worry about that risk, no one's going to..." Draco started to say before earning a hard stare from Hermione.

"Where do you get such ideas?" She rolled her eyes before looking at Mel. " I was thinking we could use an Auror's help."

"Anyone in mind?" McGonagall nodded, looked at Mel as she watched the two. She wondered if Mel realized it yet. Her mother may be the scum of the earth, but she already had parents that were willing to protect her to the end.

Hermione smiled a little, easing the mind of the uncomfortable girl. "Only the best."


	11. I'll take her

Disclaimer: I do not own........ Anyway, thank you for all the reviews I've had so far.

* * *

Mel couldn't help but be comfortable in the middle of the cozy kitchen. They'd caught Ginny in the middle of fixing dinner, startling her when the flames turned green and they stepped out, one at a time. Ginny had engulfed Hermione in a hug as Mel followed close behind. "It's so good to see you." She just grinned before looking at Mel cheerfully. "I remember you, you were in my class."

"Yes, Ma'am." Mel smiled easily, looking at Draco over her shoulder.

It didn't shock Ginny to see Draco, though she wasn't too sure what she thought of him. She knew Hermione claimed he had changed, still it was difficult to believe. He smiled as he stepped up behind Mel and Hermione. "I'm sorry for intruding."

"It's no bother." She reached over to stir the pot, having gotten her easy hospitality from her mother. She looked around them, tried to establish her husband's whereabouts. He wasn't in the living room, within easy distance. "That man, holed up in his office again."

"I'll get him." Hermione shook her head as Ginny started to walk around them. "I'd hate to have your dinner burn." She left them, Ginny still watching her guests with interest. It wasn't everyday people randomly showed up. And she knew Hermione better than that, there was something going on.

Draco cleared his throat. "So, uh, how long until your due?"

"Three months." Her hand rested on the bump. "Three very long months." She reached over and into a jar, drew out a cookie. With a wink, she handed it to Mel. "I knew I had to have a reason for baking these."

There was laughter and Harry came in with his arm draped over Hermione's shoulder. He looked at Draco for a second, considering him. Hermione had already explained about him in her letters and he thought it was grand. After all, there were somethings that people just shouldn't be accountable for once they wise up. On a laugh, he offered him his hand. "Malfoy."

Any fear Draco might have felt evaporated as he shook the offered hand. "Potter, it's good to see your doing well."

"Yeah, well, I can't say it was all my doing." He sent Ginny a look, she ducked her head before she blushed. They both knew what he was referring to and he was right, she'd had to knock the sense into him before he figured out that she wasn't going anywhere.

She just looked at the stew she was preparing, an old recipe. "Will you be staying for supper then? There's plenty."

"If we're not intruding." Hermione nodded, squeezed Mel's shoulder gently as she looked at Harry. "We missed dinner. But, after, well, we could kinda use your help."

"Alright, we have a policy in our house, food first, trouble later." Ginny poured generous amounts into wooden bowls as Hermione worked her way around to help her set the table.

They all ate around a small red table and joked and laughed. It didn't matter who was an outsider, everyone was included. No one thought for a second about mothers and fathers, unless they were discussing the upcoming baby. And no one worried about what would happen after their time ran out together. It was just them, and amazing bowls of hot stew.

It wasn't until the last bowl was cleared from the table that they sat around, all grim. Harry looked at Hermione expectantly. "What's going on?"

" Lestrange." Draco looked at him as understanding passed between them. They both wanted the woman dead, and that was enough to put his trust in. He opened his mouth to say something but Hermione's hand rested on his leg, silencing him.

"Ginny works for the Department of Child Security now." She explained to him, not wanting to admit how little she could actually know for certain. They'd gone into territory that was unfamiliar to her, and she wasn't sure what could be done. The Department of Child Security was kind of the ministry's version of social services.

"Thanks to you." Ginny confirmed. Hermione'd sent in a letter to the head of the Department, ensuring that Ginny's application got a good look. She probably could have told her that she didn't need her help, her own reputation would have been enough.

"How fast does the system work exactly?" Hermione nodded as discretely as possible toward Mel. She didn't want to say too much, just in case it became too much for the girl. "For, say, those who need it to hurry."

Ginny understood, slightly, enough to know that this was no ordinary case. "It works pretty fast, after all, that's what we do."

"Do you think your parents could lend us a hand?" Hermione knew there was nothing to settle the nerves better than a visit to the Weasleys.

"I'm sure they'd be glad to." Ginny smiled at Harry, as he rose. It must be nice, Hermione realized, not to have to explain yourself to someone all the time. That they'd just know. "Go and explain, please, it's better if I stay here."

"Right." He bent down to kiss his wife as Hermione looked away.

"Draco." She kept her eyes on the table, not wanting to look at him. It might be too easy to see into her thoughts, her deepest wishes. " You should go with them, just to make sure she's settled. I'm going to stay with Ginny, start what needs to be started."

"No." Mel shook her head, grabbed at Hermione's hand. "You have to come with me, you said you would. Please, I can stay and help."

Hermione smiled a little, took both of the girl's hands. "I'm going to join you, as soon as this is all settled. But there are things I need to do, to protect you. I'll be there soon, okay?"

"Okay." Mel nodded, getting up as Harry motioned for her to follow him. Draco rose and came to stand in front of Hermione. She looked up at him, trying to read the emotion in those eyes that seemed as disturbed as waters during a storm. _I'll be back_, they seemed to tell her.

He touched her cheek, silent and solemn. It was in that moment she knew for certain that she was sunk. She was completely in love with him. Tender, she touched the hand that rested against her face. Without a word, he took her hand and brought it up to his lips, then left without turning back.

"Wow." was all Ginny could manage to say as she watched him go. They'd apparate in the living room, she knew, where they had room to turn. Knowing, she gave Hermione a stare. "Now that is something you don't see everyday."

"That's hardly the point," Hermione changed the topic, tapping her finger on the table. "What do we start with?"

They were mostly done with the papers when Draco came back, hope in his eyes as he stared at the packet of papers. It was happening, changes were being made. Hermione turned to look at him, she'd not needed a word, she just knew he was there with them. "What's Mel's full name?"

"Melinda Tonks." He blinked, settling down into a chair and staring at the paper. "Bellatrix wanted her to take that name so that no one would know she had a daughter. She was ashamed of her."

"That bitch." Ginny spat as Hermione leaned over to pat her arm. "Sorry." She winced as she looked down at her papers. " I tend to feel too much."

"Don't we all." He sympathized, looking at the papers as she turned to the last page. Her face changed, so that it was unreadable. "What is it?" He stood, walked to the window.

"I need to establish a guardian for her." Ginny looked at Hermione helplessly. "I can not take a child out of her mother's care, no matter who she is, unless I can establish that she will be in good hands. I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Hermione shook her head. "We should have expected something of the sort, the ministry doesn't do foster care." They were in silence, each in their own thoughts. Ginny's pen tapped against the table rapidly, Draco did nothing but look out into the street below, so sure that they had failed. Hermione looked at him, watched the way he chewed on his bottom lip in his distress. Then she looked at Ginny, cleared her throat to speak. " I'll take her."

"What?" Draco turned, tried to figure out if he heard her correctly. She couldn't be serious.

"I'll raise her, or I'll do my best." She locked eyes with Draco, saw that he thought she had lost it. "I can't promise I'll be the best mother, but I can certainly try. And I think we both know I'll do better than what she has now." It took him a minute, but finally, he nodded and she could breath easy.

"Great." Ginny finished filling in the necessary boxes before she folded the forms into an envelope. "I'll see that these get filed myself. Go, you need to be with her now."

"Thank you." Hermione hugged her friend once more before she walked out, Draco following behind. He wrapped an arm around her, kissed her hair as she turned to look at him. "Your okay with all of this right? If you don't think..."

"Don't speak." He brushed his lips against hers before he completely let go of her. "Now, we just have to break the news to her," He smiled. "Mom.


	12. I used to dream of her

She stopped in front of the bed room door, rested her forehead lightly on the cool wood. How often had she gone in? Shared a room with Ginny and laughed quietly through the night? Only now did she ever feel uneasy. What was she supposed to tell her? What if she didn't want her to adopt her? They barely knew each other.

What was she doing? She couldn't be a mother. She had no idea where to even start. No one had ever solely depended on her, let alone a child. She'd have to find a permanent home for them, the apartment she had shared with Ron was out of the question. And she'd have to find work with suitable hours, her job at Hogwarts was only going to last another couple of months. Then the replacement would come. Get this over with, she told herself.

Swallowing hard, she knocked, heard the faint "Come in." From the other side. She opened the door and slipped in. It clicked shut as they stood in the quiet. She could hear the noise below them, the commotion of Mrs. Weasley's fussing. This wouldn't be the first time Draco was submitted to that kind of openness. Her mom was the same way, and she hoped, eventually, it was genetic. That she'd treat people with such compassion that no one could resist her for more than a couple of minutes.

Mel finally looked up at her, her bright eyes filled with nothing but curiosity. " What happened? Is it all done?"

"Yes." Hermione sat down on the edge of her bed, collected her thoughts for a moment. "But there's something you need to decide. No one can decide this for you. And if your not okay with it, I'm sure there are other options that can be considered."

Mel crossed her legs, waited expectantly. Taking a deep breath, she continued. "How would you you feel if you came to live with me?"

"Like, you'd be my mom, for real?" She asked quietly.

"Exactly." Hermione waited for a moment, waited so that Mel could have a chance to think it through. "Mel?"

"Are you going to help me bake cookies and all that stuff you said your mom does?" Mel watched her speculatively. As if this was some kind of formal interview or audition. It only made the situation more uncomfortable for Hermione. She couldn't know what was going through the girl's brain and it bothered her, not knowing how someone would react about something like this.

"I'm going to try at least." She nodded solemnly, her eyes darting to the door as she heard a knock. They couldn't answer it, neither of them felt the ambition to move from where they sat.

"When I was little, Draco used to tell me stories about my mother. How she'd be special and she'd care for me like no one ever cared for me before. And I realize now, at the time they were all just stories. And when I fell asleep, I'd picture her, what we'd do together and how we'd act." Mel looked down at the bed, ashamed that the moment she'd first seen her biological mother, she'd thought _this isn't my mom. Who is this woman?_ She'd known.

But then she remembered sitting in class a few months ago and it seemed to make sense now, why she found happy in that class when she could only ever find it when Draco visited her. " I want to live with you." She told her finally, looking back at her. They shared a shaky smile for a moment before she threw her arms around the woman she'd now call Mom. "I think I'd like that a lot."

"So would I." Hermione wrapped her arms tight around the girl, held her as tears threatened to fall. She'd been prepared to reason, to make her see logic, and she didn't have to. Mel had her own logic, one that worked fine. The knocks came more persistently and Hermione laughed, still a little watery. "Come in."

The door opened and someone cleared their throat. Quickly, Mel released her hold on Hermione and looked up at Ron. "Who are you?"

"Uh." His face reddened, highly obvious against his orange hair. "Names Ron, I used to live here. Who are you?"

"Melinda." She slid off the bed, glanced him over. So this was the man of rumors. She'd heard that he'd come into the school sometime this year, and she was sorry she missed it. It was evidently very exciting. According to her friend. "I'm her daughter."

Ron's jaw dropped as he turned his attention to Hermione. "When the bloody hell did you have a kid?"

"Language, Ronald." She rolled her eyes as she stood. "You haven't talked to Harry yet, have you."

"Sure I did." He relaxed a little against the door. "He's down in the kitchen, asked me to get you. Mum pushed these into my hands on my way up."

"Alright then." She took the extra blankets from him, set them on the bed. "We'll talk, downstairs." She added when he started to say something.

"Fine." His jaw clenched. "Downstairs." And he was gone.

She turned to Mel, considered her for a moment. "You can come with me, if you want. But I'm not going to lie, you might not like everything you hear. Or, I happen to know that there are gnomes in the garden, all over the place."

"Cool." Mel grinned, she'd never actually seen a gnome before, read about them, but she'd never seen one.

"Yeah, come on, I'll show you." Hermione laughed as they walked out the door, Her hand on Mel's shoulder and Mel's arm locked around her side.

It wasn't even ten minutes later when she joined the others in the kitchen. Draco smiled from his seat, a respectable distance from Ron, who was looking at him with disgust. He'd probably never expected a Malfoy to sit at his table, and he really didn't like it. That didn't bother Draco though. "How'd it go?"

"Shockingly well." She dropped into the chair next to him, smiled at the others. "We haven't done something like this in ages."

"Only because you refused a position in the department when I offered you one." Harry countered. Ron didn't budge, only turned his appalled expression onto her.

"And I'm healthier for it." She shook her head with a laugh. "I'm going to take a random guess, you already told him."

"Your too young to raise a kid." Was the only answer he gave her, his words dripping with acid.

"I'm sorry." He had her hair standing on end, he always did when he got that way. " I didn't realize I needed your permission." She waited until he broke eye contact. Draco's hand gripped hers under the table. The calming force that kept her from slapping Ron like he desperately needed it. "It's not your choice."

"And this is the true reason we don't do this very often." Harry muttered, earning a dirty look from Ron. "Don't have a go, mate. She has a point."

"Thank you." She relaxed a little, "So have you come up with any brilliant ideas yet?"

"I'm going back to Hogwarts." Draco announced, Hermione's stared at him in shock as he hurried to explain himself. "We need to know that the students are going to be safe. She won't care about killing off a few third years if she thinks Mel's there."

"She'll kill you." Hermione's hand balled under his. "She won't give it a thought, blood or not."

He brought her hand to his lips, kissed her knuckles to soothe, her nerves jumped and her pulse skipped. "I won't be going alone." He assured her as he let their hands rest on her lap again.

"We're going with him." Harry nodded. "She may not even still be there, but if she is, we'll stop her."

"And what am I supposed to do?" She was resigned, knowing she couldn't talk them out of anything. "Sit back and twiddle my thumbs?"

"You could take Mel out, some time together." Draco shrugged, it was a suggestion at least. One she didn't look overly happy with.

"In this game, the females play too." She said bitterly. Harry rolled his eyes and walked around the table to her. Carefully he picked up her free hand.

After a minute he stuck his tongue in his cheek and pretended to look closer at her palm. Palm reading was a farce and they both knew it. "It says here that you will stay and be good. And you'll let us Aurors do what we're paid to."

She slapped at him, glared. "_He's_ not an Auror."

"It'd look mighty suspicious for two adults to walk around the school without a professor." He pointed out, "And if you go, Mel's going to want to go too. That's one risk too many."

"Fine." She crossed her arms, "I still don't like it."

"I didn't expect you would." Draco smiled patiently. It might not have been fair. They both knew what buttons to push and how to convince her that they were right. But it was effective.

"I better head home," Harry squeezed her shoulder, gave Ron a quick push. " You too, before she smacks the few remaining braincells out of your skull."

"Night." He muttered, still put off.

"We'll be by in the morning." Harry smiled over her at Draco. "Good to be on the same side with you."

"Same here." Draco nodded.

Hermione got up and went outside silently, walked down into the garden and just stopped. Mel was having the time of her life. Gnomes were both fun and pesky, depending on the mood you were in. When she saw Hermione, she shook one off her leg and walked over to her. "Time to go in?"

"Yeah." She just nodded, neither of them said anything until they were upstairs and in the room.

"Did you and Draco have a fight?" She asked curiously, watching the shock on Hermione's face.

"No, not exactly. Into bed with you now." She gestured to the small fluffy bed. There was another one on the other side, made her smile vaguely. Mel fell asleep the second after her head hit the pillow. Hermione just sat on the other bed and waited, a few minutes later Draco crept in.

"There are two beds." He grimaced after a moment, "Mrs. Weasley told me to come up here. I think she's slightly confused."

"You don't want to share a bed with me?" Hermione asked him innocently, watched the expression of horror on his face. "She's not blind, Draco. And she's not stupid. But if you really don't want to share a bed with me, I'll happily take the floor." He flashed a quick grin and climbed into the bed with her so that her back was against him.

They laid in silence until he finally couldn't stand it. " Your mad at me." Not a question, just an honest statement.

"No." She murmured against the pillow. "Not mad, just worried." She turned so that she could face him. "Your going to be careful, right?"

"Of course," He reached over to run his fingers through her hair. "I'll come back to you, Hermione, I promise you that."

"Promises like that are hard to keep." She rested her head on his chest, felt his lips on her cheek.

"Go to sleep." He told her, his voice in her ear. "Let your worries go for the night."


	13. London

She stood in the middle of the living room, refusing to let herself feel. A quick kiss between them and he was gone, repeating his promise that he'd be back for her. But in how long? A day, a week, a month? How long was she supposed to wait without knowing, without a hint of news?

She was going to go insane, she'd already decided that, unless she kept herself insanely busy. And how was she supposed to do that? They were gone now, she stifled a yawn, there was no pleading for them to change their minds. She hadn't gotten much sleep, every time she shut her eyes, she saw Bellatrix and she saw Draco. Every time she watched her kill him and could do nothing to stop her.

It didn't seem that dangerous to them, she knew that. They were just going to the school, but they hadn't ever been faced with the torture curse. It had struck her in the middle of the night that she wouldn't just kill Draco, because he knew where her daughter was. She'd torture him until he broke and begged for death and in the end she'd give it to him. That thought hadn't helped her dreams at all either.

They wanted her to pretend everything was semi-normal. She'd play it that way for Mel, who hadn't been told that Draco was leaving. Hermione had stood by and watched as the man she loved kissed the sleeping child on the forehead before they both headed downstairs. She'd tell her when she woke up, and she'd try to make her see why it was necessary, even when she didn't believe that herself.

Silently, she made her way upstairs, only numbly realizing that she'd never changed into pajamas before she fell asleep, not that she had any. Maybe they _would_ go shopping in London today, neither one of them had grabbed clothes before they left. It'd be fun, she reasoned, to spend the day thinking about anything other than work and darker topics. They'd enjoy the city and stay out until the sun went down and the lights came on.

Suddenly smiling, she opened the door and looked at the girl. She was so peaceful, and Hermione wanted to just let her sleep. But if she slept for too much longer she'd be groggy the rest of the day. "Hey, sleepy." She shook the girl gently, remember the number of times she'd had to wake one of her friends. Both Ron and Ginny had punched her, before they realized it was her and not someone out to kill them. It must have been a genetic thing. "It's time to wake up now."

Mel blinked, let herself adjust to her surroundings for a minute. "Morning." She sat up, ran her fingers through her hair in an effort to brush out the worst of the snarls, almost unsuccessfully. "What time is it?"

"It's about ten-thirty." Hermione went to open the curtain. The sky was cloudy so the light wasn't too bright, but there was enough. She'd spent almost two hours alone in the darkness of the living room. Mrs. Weasley had made a run to the store and Mr. Weasley was on his way to work. She'd just sat there and stared into space as she tried to get up the will to move. "We figured you deserved to sleep a little longer."

"Where's Draco?" She glanced at the other bed, not that she was going to tell them, but she'd had to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night and had seen them sharing the bed. It didn't really bother her as much as she thought it would. "Is he downstairs?"

"No." Hermione shook her head, "He has to leave for a while. We don't know exactly how long it will be until he is able to come back. He wanted me to tell you he'll be thinking of you though, and he promises you a huge icecream sunday when he returns."

"Okay," She was lost in her own thoughts for a few minutes, trying to get a better idea of what was going on. So they were staying here, and what were they were supposed to do during that time? "What's the plan for us then?"

"Well, we have at least a couple of days, so we have two options." She sat down on the bed, held up her hand for a minute so that Mel wouldn't say anything. With a laugh she peaked under the bed, pulled out a large box. It was something her and Ginny had put together one year. Just in case. Ginny hadn't been able to find it when she wanted it, she must have forgotten she'd put it under the bed. "I have to drop this off, either way."

"What are our options?" Mel asked impatiently. Her energetic movements startling Hermione. Great, she rolled her eyes mentally, another morning person.

"We can either go to London and do some serious shopping or we can go house hunting." She laid the choices out there, waited for Mel to decide.

"Shopping." She said finally. "That sounds like fun."

"Mel," Hermine took a moment to word her question right. "You never wear anything other than your school uniforms, I don't mean to pry, but don't you have any other clothes?"

"I do." Mel nodded, grimacing at the thought of exactly what her mother had packed for her. "I don't think wearing them would be the best option, they're not exactly decent." And that was all she could manage to say on that subject. How could she explain that her mother dressed like a slut and that she only ever got hand-me-downs.

"Alright." Hermione smiled, stood, "Mrs. Weasley should be back by now, I think she said something about pancakes."

"Yum." Mel darted out of the room as she smiled after her. That child was just so confusing, depressed one second, bouncy and light the next. She didn't know what to expect, and that worked for them.

About an hour later, they were standing in the middle of the Leaky Cauldron. Off handedly, she waved at Tom when he called her name. It probably wasn't unusual for people to apparate in, so she wasn't shocked when he didn't say anything about it. They went straight out, not bothering to talk to anybody. Both were relieved to get out of the slightly stale smelling pub.

They talked and window shopped and let the buzz of excitement carry them from one store to another. Hermione, who always carried both wizarding and muggle money, bought them lunch, with the deal that neither of them could buy anything for another two hours. They both had their eye on plenty, but the longer they waited, the more time it would take to get everything.

When it came down to it, Mel turned out to be quite the little lady when it came to fashion. She loved skirts and dresses but she wouldn't turn down a nice pair of jeans. While Mel was trying on something in the dressing booth, instinct pulled Hermione over to the more formal items. There was this one dress and she just knew how it would look, there was no doubt in her mind. So, as her own little surprise, because who knows when your going to need a dress, she tucked it in amongst the items they were purchasing.

By the time they were fully ready to head home, each had their arms full. As exhaustion took over, they sat down in a restaurant for dinner. They laughed and lowered their voices as their conversation turned to the boys at school. And she knew, this was the year everything changes. Those who have only ever been friends, or even just people you say hi to, become more and they become special to your heart. When Mel told her she didn't like anybody like that, she just smiled and didn't say a word. There was still a good chunk of the year left, she wouldn't be surprised if that changed before the end of school.

After a bit, Mel glanced at her, smiled as she thought of something. "You should tell me about the Room of Requirements." Hermione chuckled at this. "You said you had a lot of things you could tell me."

"I think I need to talk to your cousin about that first," Hermione paid for their dinner and they were back out in the chilly London air. "There may be somethings he might not be comfortable with me sharing."

At that, Mel just laughed.

* * *

_A.N: I was origanally going to make this one story, but I've been considering extending it and writing a sequal. I need to know what you think. Please let me know if you absolutely hate the idea, otherwise I'm just going to go for it. If you like the idea, that's good to know too actually. Thanks in advance. _


	14. Colin's Birthday

He wanted her, he wanted her dead. The sooner they found her, the sooner Mel was safe again. And it was shallow of him, but he wanted to be rid of these two. It was uncomfortable, knowing this every move was being analyzed, and was officially a group decision. Thing was, he didn't mind Harry all that much. They got along fine, because they both understood that the past was the past. His real problem was with Ron.

A permanent scowl on his face, he had a snide comment about almost everything Draco said or did. Draco understood it, trust didn't come easily to some, and neither did forgiveness. But it just got so frustrating, it'd been three days and it was starting to drive him crazy.

Ron was out of the room, now giving the daily report to McGonagall. Harry had done it yesterday and Draco the day before. They stayed in his chambers for now, crashing in the living room. At the moment, Harry was sprawled out on the couch, staring off into space as Draco sat against the wall, puzzled. "What's his issue, anyway?" He spoke finally.

Harry looked over, saw a troubled man. There was more on his mind than another person's issues. But that's what he'd chosen to address, so that was what he'd answer. "Who, Ron?"

"Yeah." Draco ran his fingers through his hair, absently considered the fact that he'd have to start tying it back if he didn't get it trimmed. And that was too much like what he didn't want to become. "I mean, I understand a little bitterness, a little resentment, but theres more to it than that."

"You have to understand." Harry considered how best to word it. "Ron takes things at face value, then he reads too much into them, so you never know exactly how he'll react. Your sleeping with his ex-girlfriend." He laughed when Draco tensed. "Calm yourself down now, I'm not going to strike you down because of it. But thing is, she broke up with him and now she's happy. Then you add the kid, sweet shy little thing that reminds him so much of her that she really could be her daughter. One thing Ron'd never taken into consideration was that one day she'd want a family, and in a way you gave that to her. It's not personal, not really."

"Then what the hell am I supposed to do about it?" Draco stood, aggravation buzzing in his head."

"You could always end things with Hermione." Draco let out a small snarl and he shrugged. "Or you could just wait. If it doesn't go away in the next few months, best bet is to sit back and enjoy the show." He was rewarded when Draco just gave him an odd look, confusion outweighed frustration. "Hermione wont take his crap for much longer than that and when she goes off, well, it's best not to be sitting in between them. But it sure is fun to watch."

"And I imagine Ginny's mellowed out." Draco grinned sarcastically. From what people had told him, he knew she was a pistol in her youth, and that kind of thing didn't change with hormones, unless for the worse.

"Now there's a temper," Harry laughed, rubbed his jaw as he wondered how she was doing. She was strong on her own, she knew, she always had been. But with the baby, well, it made him uneasy to dwell upon it. "She nearly beat me to death when I tried to pull away. Damn good thing she did, too, never regretted a day of it. Still, though," He considered Draco for a moment, wondered how he'd fare in a fight. Probably lose, he imagined, like they all did against the women they cared about. "Hermione matches fire with fire when someone's stupid enough to push too far, or not enough."

"Sounds like you have experience in that area." Draco stated dryly. He knew being friends with anyone for so long was bound to leave you with battle scars. Though he had none of his own. He hadn't trusted anyone to get close enough for them to hurt him. That alone might have been a scar though.

"Like I said." Harry agreed mildly, sitting up to glance at the clock, "Don't get in the middle." She'd attacked him with birds once, while trying to get at Ron. "Even unintentionally. Don't you have class or something?"

"What?" Draco's head turned wildly to get a better look at the clock. "Oh yeah, nearly forgot. But so do you, substitute teacher."

"Wouldn't be the first time I taught kids how to fight," He smiled vaguely, he'd taught people before he himself was out of school. "Got permission from McGonagall to teach them something about Patronus while I'm here. Who knows, maybe someone will catch on."

"That's the spirit." Draco just rolled his eyes and turned for the portrait. Today was going to be another long day.

* * *

He opened the door to his class room, knew it wouldn't make much difference. Down in the dungeon levels of the school, the heat was suffocating them. It was his own fault. He should have remembered to open the door _before_ the fires below the cauldrons were lit. Now half of his class would fall asleep on him, from the heat and the fumes. They'd have to repeat the lesson. With a deep sigh, he turned back to the class. "Turn your books to page seven hundred and forty-two. I've already walked you through steps one and two, your on your own. This will be for participation credit, a success will be considered fifteen points on any late or missing assignment."

"Professor." One of the less presumptuous girls raised her hand timidly. Her wild red hair was secured at the nape of her neck with a flower stuck in the band. Green eyes were filled with a love of the craft behind brass frames. "Can I speak to you for a moment?"

He motioned her to his desk as he sat back. Slightly uneasy, she pulled something out of her backpack, came to him. "What can I do for you, Ms. Lily?"

"Well, I was hoping to spend the summer interning at St. Mungo's, sir. But in order to be accepted, I need recommendations from three professors." She looked terrified, as if she assumed he would just naturally turn her away. Then again, she'd known him when they were in school, or at least had known of him. She would have been about third year by that point, old enough to know what was going on.

" I can do that." He took the paper from her, scanned it. " What ward are you considering?" He picked up his quill, started to fill in the correct box.

"Creature induced injuries." She smiled, waited until she had the paper back in hand. " I've wanted to be a healer since I was about six."

"That's great." He stood again when one of the other student's cauldron began to overflow. "Your a terrific student. In fact, I'll bet Professor McGonagall is in her office about now. You can probably convince her to sign off on it. Nothing weighs more strongly than a headmaster's word."

"Now?" She gaped at him, teachers never recommended you leave class unless you were in some kind of trouble. "But, sir, the assignment."

"You'll get the extra credit." Draco watched her with interest, wondering if this was what Hermione would have looked like if she had had that seventh year. Eager but slightly terrified. "I've no doubt you could make the potion, and have obviously proved yourself already." She started to object. "Go," He stopped her. With a shake of her head, she went back and collected her stuff. Her bag slung over her shoulder, she looked back at him with a wavering smile. And she left.

Draco turned back to deal with the mishap, smiled at the boy whose hands were now a shimmering purple. Sometimes the students caught on, and sometimes they didn't. "What did you do wrong, Mr. Creevey?"

The boy looked up at him with loathing eyes. Sometimes he hated him and sometimes he didn't. Today was just one of those days. " Sorry, sir," He bit, "I just have a lot on my mind today, that's all." He wasn't about to tell him it was Colin's birthday, he needed no sympathy, especially not from him.

"Um, Professor," A shaken voice called him from the door way. Ms. Lily was standing just a little ways in the class room, her eyes locked on the doorway. There was pure fear in her eyes, and a thin cut along her arm. Draco knew that look, when one was trapped and wasn't quite sure how to free themselves. She was here, was the only words his mind could form, here in his class room. Endangering his students.

And sure enough, she strolled in idly as if she'd just been in from a lovely spring walk. "Darling girl." She cooed, dragging one of her abnormally long fingernails along Ms. Lily's cheek. The look she hurled at Draco was murderous, "It would be such a terrible thing if anything would happen to her."

"Lily," He addressed his student, waiting until she met his gaze. "You have things to attend to, don't you?" She just nodded, speechless. " You better get that done. Remember, first to the headmaster, then to defense against the dark arts class. Do you understand me?" Please, understand me, he begged silently. Twenty students and none of them would stand a chance in hell if he didn't get word out.

She nodded again, looked at Bellatrix. The woman merely smiled and shifted out of her way, trusting that a student wouldn't be an issue. And if someone needed something that urgently, they'd come down and get it within a time, not long enough. Prolong discover, she mused, and your twice as likely to get away clean.


	15. Forgetting the password

_Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince, yea. Had to get this posted in celebration. This IS not the end of this part, there will probably be only one more chapter though. Then look for the sequel. Thank you to all of my loyal readers, your amazing. _

* * *

"She's not here." Draco kept his voice calm, refusing to add to the student's fear. There were a few brave onces, their wands out and at the ready, their eyes fierce. They were the one would become great, they were strong, because they were either born with it or they made themselves into that person. Then there were the others, they were not weak because they chose to inch toward the corners of the room. No, fear didn't make people weak, in fact, it strengthened them so that maybe they too could become great, because they'll never want to be afraid again. Slow bloomers. He didn't want any of them hurt as he stood between his aunt and his students, he knew one person couldn't keep that from happening. He needed a goddamn army.

She just smiled, all the evil in the world seemed to be spawned from that smile. All the evil, and one beacon of light, Mel. The daughter she had abused, had made clear that she didn't matter, that she never wanted her. And she was ready to kill because someone else did want her, someone loved her enough to want her to be safe. "You think I don't know that?" She laughed once, "But you, you know where she is." She started toward him, he didn't move, he didn't even flinch. She was inches away from his face, rancid breath and horrible eyes. "Your going to be a good boy now, Draco, and tell me where I can find Melinda and that horrible little mud blood girl that thinks she can steal away my child."

There it was, he knew, the reason she was so angry, that she was ready to kill. That Mel would choose a muggle born, that she would except someone of such low worth to care for her when she ahd refused love to her own mother. She would follow that way of life rather than the lifestyle Bellatrix had deemed acceptable. And he wasn't going to stand for it, neither of them deserved for her to come after them, two bright souls that had found each other. He knew, she was never going to touch Hermione, and she certainly wasn't getting anywhere near Mel. "Your not getting anything from me."

"Don't be stupid." Bellatrix laughed, turned from him and scanned the room. "I wouldn't hurt you, my own nephew." She moved fast, pulling one of the brave to her and pressing her wand into his neck threateningly. "But one of these little runts, maybe a dozen of them, they don't matter so much."

He kept his gaze cool, his heart accelerating. She would, that had always been clear, and once he told her, they were all dead.

* * *

She hadn't stopped running, no matter how fast her heart beat against her ribcage. It hurt like hell, but she couldn't stop running yet, not yet. She knew that face, they had spent a good part of her fifth year discussing the war in History of Magic. And she had stared at enough news clippings that had been past around the room in the form of a scrap book to know without a doubt who she was. Bellatrix Lestrange, follower of Lord Voldemort, criminal, and spawn of Satan. She skidded to a halt outside the large gargoyle, and froze.

She didn't know the password, she remembered, and she felt really stupid. How could she help her friends if she couldn't even tell the headmaster. Angry with herself, she rested her head against the wall, she had failed. She had failed everyone. Everyone in that classroom would be dead, because she couldn't remember to get the password.

"Oi, what are you standing around for?" A voice called out to her. She blinked, straightened. He was coming this direction, whether because he spotted her or because he was going to anyway. His hair brilliant and flaming red, where hers had turned out copper. Angry blue eyes that had gone soft upon looking more closely at her. He looked so strong and yet so approachable, she didn't know any guy like that. If they were strong, you tended to shy away from them because they intimidated you, and the approachable ones wouldn't stand up for anything worth spit. And yet here he was, both at the same time.

He was impatient, it was written across his face, and one damsel in distress wasn't enough of an issue for him to take more than a minute out of his schedule. It was a good thing she wasn't a damsel in distress then, she stiffened defensively. She may have had a weak moment, that didn't make her distressed, it made her human. And she wasn't going to explain herself to anyone. "I can't seem to get in."

"You need a password for that." He stopped a few feet away, analyzing everything about her. Steady, but terrified, and stubborn as hell, he guessed. And as she watched him speculatively, he imagined she knew when to surrender. She could wait around and whatever was bothering her would have to wait too, or she could ask him for help. His voice was slightly softer when he spoke again."You never did answer my question, why aren't you in class?"

"Professor Malfoy sent me." She gnawed on her lip for a moment, determining how much she could trust this stranger. Now that she had a moment, she did recognize him. He was in a class a few years ahead of her, but there was more than that. He was part of the trio, one of the three that had played a major part in the war, him and Professor Granger and temporary Professor Potter. Ron Weasley. She could trust him with this, she decided, because he was here and she needed help. "There's trouble in potion's class."

"One of the cauldrons explode?" He snickered, earning an icy stare. Obviously a fan of Professor Malfoy's, he assumed. "Sorry, no offense intended."

"None taken." She bit, angry with the both of them. They were wasting time and he was making wise-ass jokes. "And I'm sure I'll find it funny when we're having funerals for at least half the class."

His face slipped back into seriousness. She wasn't joking, something was wrong and he was making jokes. "You need to see Professor McGonagall?" Why the hell hadn't he sent her to one of them first?

"That's one way to put it, but I'm pretty sure she needs to know. Then I have to go to Defense against the Dark arts class, I assume to get Professor Potter." She closed her eyes, took a deep breath as the hallway swayed in front of her. As soon as she was sure she wasn't going to pass out, she opened her eyes again. He was just staring at her, not moving in anyway. It was a little disconcerting.

"Are you alright?" He asked her uncertainly. He was no good with sick women, and she was going to drop any second, holding herself together with threads. He'd watched her pull herself together before his eyes, not well, but she was stable enough to meet his eyes. It was almost incredible. She just nodded. "Okay, then here's the deal. You go and get him, I'll fill her in. Stay in his classroom when you get him, we don't need to be worrying about you too."

"It's my friends in there." She stated indignantly, she was an adult, she was not going to sit around and do nothing.

"Yes, it is." He rolled his eyes as he saw she was going to fight him on this. They didn't have time for a pissing match, not that he wasn't game. "If you go back in, you might get both yourself and a classmate killed." He sighed, looked at her for a second before he continued, "And you've been braver than most so far, don't spoil it by doing something completely stupid."

Instead of an answer, she just ran off, and he figured that was her way of not choosing. Content that she'd see his logic, he turned back to the gargoyle. "Now we get to have some fun."

* * *

He didn't know how much longer they could go on like this. The longer he talked, the longer the student stayed unharmed. But he'd run out of things to say. He could see it in her eyes, she was going to end it soon. His wand was in his hand behind his back. But he couldn't get a good enough space, he might accidentally hit his student. "What do you say?" Bellatrix grinned over the boy's shoulder, "Should we play a little game?"

"What kind of game?" You sick bitch, he cursed silently, where were they? Out of the corner of his eye he saw Dennis Creevey work his way toward the door. Don't do it. He tried to tell him. Don't be stupid, she'll see you.

"A fun kind of game." She pushed the wand further into the boy's neck. He didn't wince, just sucked in a deep breath and look at Draco helplessly. "You tell me one thing about what I want to know and we all live happily ever after. But for every lie you tell me, another runt dies."

"Doesn't sound like much of a game to me." He gritted his teeth, looked at the boy. He couldn't even remember his name, but he was just as important as his own life. "I don't think I want to play this game."

"You don't have much of a choice." She shook her head, "I've already got the first runt, now you need to start talking." The student seemed to come to a decision sitting there in her grip, he wasn't going to be used as bait. He'd met the girl she was asking for, could see why people would die to protect her. Quick, he stepped on her foot and when she released him he elbowed her in the stomach.

She sputtered, coughed, threw her wand around and mumbled. Spells went everywhere as Draco grabbed the boy and pulled him down. He shot off a couple of his own spells but they were all misses and as he stood to try for one more, he got hit in the chest. He fell, caught by a couple of the students as he realized he couldn't move. She'd binded him, not killed him. Maybe because she wasn't thinking, but as he watched her stand and give him a good look, then slip out of the classroom, spells coming at her from all different directions now, he could only thank the stars. He could keep his promise.


	16. Dear Lucius

_Ok, last chapter, but there IS going to be a sequel. Thank you for all the great review. _

* * *

He was sitting up by time they got there. He'd asked that they not be contacted, but nobody had bothered to listen, and he was grateful. They'd taken him to the hospital wing, made sure he wasn't going to be too damaged, then contacted those who cared about him most. He smiled as Mel rushed over to him, jumped up on the bed next to him. Her arms were wrapped around his neck. It only barely registered that she was wearing new clothes, he was too glad she was safe. For now they were all alright. She looked up at him, her eyes sparking with her curiosity. "Did you get her?"

"Mel." Hermione warned as she came over, Harry had already filled her in, but Mel had been too busy chatting with Ron to hear half of it. Her warning wouldn't do any good, she knew, but she could at least try.

He just smiled at her, grabbing Mel by the waist to pull her of f of him and down onto the bed. "No, I didn't get her." Fear crossed through her eyes for a brief second before she clung to him, her arms like a vice around his stomach. "We will though. The important thing is that Hogwarts is rid of her, I doubt she'll come back this way so soon."

Hermione sat down on the other side of Mel, touched his cheek. "The important thing," She corrected softly, "Is that you weren't hurt, and we can pick up the pieces of our lives for at least a little while."

"Speaking of which," He pulled Mel off again, smiled a little as she pretended to pout. "We're wanted up in McGonagall's office." He smiled at Mel as she dashed off, seeing someone she knew in the corridor. "And now we don't have to worry about that." He shrugged as they both stood.

"But we do still have to worry." She rested her head against his shoulder as his arm came around her, they just stood for a moment where they were. "I don't think I'm ever going to stop worrying now."

"Not about this, not for the moment." He kissed the side of her head, so many words wanted to spill out, but now wasn't the time. For now, they had to talk to the others.

* * *

She sat in a chair, surrounded by people who belonged there, but she still wasn't sure why they insisted she come too. There was a girl in the chair next to her. That would be Mel, she realized with a dull thud, she was who that woman was after. Her eyes flitted across the room, her knuckles whitened as her grip on the chair threatened to break pieces off. A hand rested on her shoulder, squeezed gently. She looked up into those blue eyes, and the comfort they now held. "You need to relax or your just going to cause yourself a major headache."

She just nodded, tore her gaze away from him when Professor Malfoy reached over to touch Mel's hair. It was there, she realized, family like she'd never really known. It'd always been just her and her mom. There was a look in his eyes when he whispered things to Professor Granger, there was something special about the way he stood almost protectively over Mel. And she knew it was a rare thing.

The door opened and Professor McGonagall strode in, her voice warm but slightly clipped. "Your class is either in the hospital wing or their rooms," She looked at Professor Malfoy when she said it. "And there seems one who should also be here, if only because he has a right to be a part of all of this now. Well, come on, boy, there's no reason to be shy _now._"

He stepped into the room awkwardly, Mel just stared at him with fascination. His hair was chocolate brown, too long to be neat but not long enough to be straggly. His eyes were a strange combination of blue and green, so that they reflected the sea. She imagined they could be stormy, or they could be calm. He was tall and extremely skinny. He'd gone for casual for the day, worn jeans and an untucked button down shirt the color of the sky on a beautiful morning. He was beautiful, she sighed, taking in his face. Who ever created people had been particularly generous when they had carved him. His gaze caught hers and his lips twitched upward in a smile.

Quickly she looked away, crimson rising in her cheeks. She'd been caught staring at him as if she'd never seen a male before, god, that was embarrassing. "Hey." She tried to sound confident, but how could she be when her pulse was everywhere.

"Hey." He didn't stop smiling, couldn't stop watching her. It was probably rude and she seemed uncomfortable with it but he just couldn't resist.

Draco stepped in between them, only half intentionally, to look him straight in the eyes. "That was a brave thing you did back there, brave and stupid."

She gawked at him. What had he done? He couldn't be the boy every one in the room had been buzzing about. God, he was. Of course he was. How could he have been so stupid? Had he been trying to get himself killed? She wanted to thank him, wasn't sure how. And she wanted to knock some sense into him, a reaction that had her blinking. Shaking it off on nerves, she smiled instead, decided that gratitude was the best option.

"I don't even know your name." Was the only thing that came out. His grin widened. How the hell did he look so damn good? It was extremely unfair for reasons she couldn't even comprehend.

"David Tyler." He suddenly realized he wasn't nervous, how could he be when he was talking to her? He looked over Draco's shoulder to see her better, to see the way she chewed her bottom lip for just a second before she realized he was still watching. Drac continued to stare him down but there was no anger in his eyes, just complete understanding. "And you would be?"

"Melinda." She glanced over at Hermione for a second, gave her a small smile before looking back up at him. "Melinda Granger."

Hermione just leaned over where she was standing until her head hit Harry's shoulder. She closed her eyes and wished the tears away. Not sad tears, not even angry tears, but still tears made her feel weak. Mel'd accepted her, completely. It was a shock to her heart even as she had known that she would. It was so much different, knowing and having it happen.

They'd be fine. She decided as Ron reached over to pat her shoulder. They were strong and they could all handle what would come next. Though secretly she wished she could hide Mel away until it was all over, she knew they had to go on with life, or life ceased to exist. They'd be fine.

* * *

She dipped her quill into the ink, grimaced at the paper before her. She didn't like this, she should be able to handle a few measly do-gooders. But there were too many of them, and she really thought he should know exactly who his son chose to associate with. The side he'd chosen... _Dear Lucius,_ Her scrawled writing scratched the page as she sat in her small country home. The curtains all drawn, no light but the one candle she had on the table. She'd needed this seclusion, this darkness. And once her dear brother in law received her letter she'd make them pay. She'd make them all pay.

* * *

_A/N: Look for the sequel soon, it will be called Begun by blood, by blood undone. _


	17. Author's Note

AUTHOR'S NOTE!

So I was going back and rereading this story and I couldn't help but wince at the writing. Would anybody be interested in reading an updated version of the story if I were to write one?


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